A Royal Navy sailor faked qualifications to get promoted - but was caught out because he spelt his name wrong.
Leading Seaman Ian O'Mahoney claimed B and C grades as he pushed for the rank of Petty Officer, but he only really had two D grades.
The 33 year-old cook forged two certificates and sent them off but wrote his name as 'O'Omhoney'.
He was asked for a certificate with the right spelling but arose suspicion when the 'correct' certificates were returned too quickly.
LS O'Mahoney confessed he forged the certificates, usually provided by awarding body AQA, and admitted two counts of fraud at a court martial.
On Friday at Bulford Military Court, Wilts, he was given a suspended sentence.
Major James Eveleigh, prosecuting, said LS O'Mahoney had needed to prove he was numerate and literate.
LS O'Mahoney, who was serving at the HMS Nelson naval base in Portsmouth, Hants uploaded documents last year.
Maj Eveleigh said: "It was noticed the certificate had a mistake, his name was spelt wrong and instead of 'O'Mahoney' it said 'O'Omhoney'.
"LS O'Mahoney was asked to contact AQA and ask for an updated or amended GCSE certificate."
AQA confirmed to investigators they had received no request for a new certificate and the grades did not match what was in their records.
The sailor admitted to military police in March 2021 he forged the documents and pleaded guilty to fraud in July.
Maj Eveleigh added: "This is a minor example of an offence but there are examples of repeated dishonesty.
"He was given repeated opportunities to come clean but he chose to double down on his lie."
Alex Rynn, defending, said: "LS O'Mahoney knows what he did was wrong, he knows he shouldn't have done it and I can assure the court he is very sorry he did do it.”
Mr Rynn said when he was 16, LS O'Mahoney was 'very badly' assaulted and suffered a severe head injury which impacted his schooling.
Assistant Judge Advocate General Alistair McGrigor, sentencing, said "You broke the trust that is an essential element of members of the Armed Forces.
"Faking is unfair to those who legitimately obtain their qualifications...
"They leave the falsifier of the document potentially vulnerable to blackmail.
LS O'Mahoney, who serves aboard HMS Brocklesby, received 120 days of detention suspended for six months.
