Stolen Valor, UK Edition

Scott John Trigg-Turner

We got us another Walter Mitty as they say across the pond, which is to say another chap who tells tall tales of derring-do. To wit, he claimed to be a lord, have received an MBE (a prestigious award from the King), served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles (except he’s too young to have done so), and killed 250 men as a sniper.

The BBC has the story;

A Wales rugby player and teaching assistant has been banned from classrooms for two years after telling pupils he had killed more than 250 people as a military sniper.

Scott John Trigg-Turner, 44, made bogus claims to a Year 8 class in Newport that he had been in the US marines, went by the codename ‘Kill Switch’ and still owned a gun.

A professional standards hearing in Cardiff was told wheelchair user Mr Trigg-Turner also claimed to be a lord, the recipient of an MBE and to have served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles – despite being too young to have done so.

Mr Trigg-Turner denied being unprofessional and had told investigators his words were “misinterpreted”.

Fellow learning support assistant Sharon Davies said she had become suspicious about Mr Trigg-Turner after hearing the stories he told pupils at Bassaleg School in 2023, including boasts about killing “in excess of 250 people”.

However, in an email to the Education Workforce Council Wales (EWC) hearing, Mr Trigg-Turner said he had “been diligent in my transparency in all interactions with pupils. I have never crossed professional boundaries and would never do so”.

He added: “I feel targeted and singled out. It is not fair.”

The EWC panel was also told he arrived late and left class early without agreement a number of times and gave inconsistent explanations to colleagues about how he came to be a wheelchair user.

A prominent Wales international wheelchair rugby player, Mr Trigg-Turner has also played for Wigan Warriors wheelchair rugby league team and Torfaen Tigers.

He was not at the hearing, was not represented and has made no formal response to the allegations.

But the EWC hearing was told that during a school investigation Mr Trigg-Turner denied having a gun in his house or saying that he did.

He added that any mentions of the military had referred to family members and that his comments to the class had been taken the wrong way.

Mr Trigg-Turner, who went on to work at Cardiff and Vale College after leaving Bassaleg, was struck off the EWC register in the categories both of learning support worker in schools and further education colleges.

Panel chair Helen Beard-Robbins said: “There is evidence of deep seated attitudinal problems given the lies he told pupils, colleagues and his line manager.”

The panel ruled Mr Trigg-Turner may not apply to be reinstated for two years.

He has the right of appeal to the High Court against the decision within 28 days.

In another BBC article, they say he also made other wild claims;

he had been in the US marines, went by the codename ‘Kill Switch’ and still owned a gun.

See ya later, ‘Kill Switch’. I hope the unemployment line has a wheelchair ramp.

Category: Stolen Valor, UK