Nando’s: Staff became suspicious
A motoring solicitor from Cheshire has been found guilty of impersonating a police officer after trying to get CCTV footage from a Nando’s restaurant.
Conor Johnstone, a director at MAJ Law in Warrington, pretended he was an officer from Cheshire Police when he called a local branch of the chicken chain in July last year.
Mr Johnstone, who is 34 and calls himself ‘The Legal Missile’, was charged with impersonating a police constable in February this year.
After pleading not guilty, he appeared before magistrates in Leeds last week.
The court heard that Mr Johnstone tried to trick Nando’s into handing over the CCTV footage so he could see if his ex-partner was having dinner at the restaurant with another man.
She was said to be pregnant with their third child at the time.
Prosecutor Nicki Forster, a barrister at 39 Park Square in Leeds, told the court that Mr Johnstone first called Nando’s on 22 July 2025, claiming to be PC Matt Gregory from Cheshire Police.
He said he was investigating an incident between two customers that had taken place at the restaurant the previous day.
The court heard that Mr Johnstone said one of the customers had reported the incident to the police and he urgently needed to see the CCTV footage as part of his investigation.
Later that evening, Mr Johnstone emailed Nando’s – using an account ‘mattgregory@cheshirepolice.uk’ – requesting the footage and giving descriptions of the man and woman involved in the incident.
Ms Forster told the court that the email included the Cheshire Constabulary logo and details for PC Gregory. He claimed he was a family liaison officer in the domestic violence unit and gave a force identification number.
When Nando’s asked Mr Johnstone to complete a Data Protection Act form, believing at this point that the solicitor was a police officer, he gave his name as PC Matt Gregory.
But when emails to the PC Gregory address failed to go through, Nando’s became suspicious and called Cheshire Police.
With help from Mr Johnstone’s internet provider, officers established that the emails sent to Nando’s came from an account owned by Mr Johnstone, and his debit card had been used to pay for a domain name that enabled him to create the fake email address.
Mr Johnstone, who has represented the likes of ex-Liverpool striker Dean Saunders and Love Island winner Jack Fincham, continued to call Nando’s between 22 and 25 July, posing as PC Gregory and asking for the footage.
This time, the court was told, staff recorded the calls.
At the hearing in Leeds last week, Mr Johnstone denied impersonating a police officer or sending fake emails. He suggested his former partner could have been behind the emails sent to Nando’s, to try to spy on him and his new partner.
He told the court he had no reason to ask Nando’s for the CCTV footage.
Asked why his internet account and his debit card were linked to the case, Mr Johnstone said many people at his family-run firm had access to both; he said the card was a company card.
However, the magistrates rejected Mr Johnstone’s defence and found him guilty of impersonating a police officer. The conviction can lead to a six-month prison sentence, a fine of up to £5,000 or both.
Cheshire Police told Legal Futures he would be sentenced on 3 August.
Mr Johnstone has not responded to a request for comment but told the Daily Mail that he would be appealing and The Telegraph that the case against him was “circumstantial at best” and that he was confident the Crown Court would overturn the conviction.
To promote his legal services, Mr Johnstone describes himself as someone who is “punchy, powerful and makes moves with zero hesitation”.
MAJ Law’s website, which is not currently online, says it is “the go-to drink driving firm in the UK” – helping motorists find “fault with police procedure” and “drink driving loopholes.” In the last 15 years, MAJ Law claim to have “saved” over 2,000 driving licences.
Leave a Comment