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Edinburgh Live
3 days ago
- Edinburgh Live
'Fantasist' conned Edinburgh hotel into buying 'Queen's favourite tea' - but it was all fake
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A convicted "conman" who bragged that his home-grown Scottish tea was the Queen's "favourite" tricked a five-star hotel in Edinburgh into buying and serving the fake beverage. Falkirk Sheriff Court heard how Thomas Robinson, 55, lied to Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel and the Dorchester Hotel in London by claiming his tea had been grown on farmland in Perthshire, reports The Mirror. Jurors heard how the tea had in fact been imported, repackaged and resold at massively inflated prices. Not only that but he also defrauded genuine Scottish tea growers by selling them plants that he claimed were grown in Scotland. It took jurors just six hours to find Mr Robinson guilty of defrauding tea growers, hotels and tea companies of almost £553,000 following a three-week trial. The tea, which traded as The Wee Tea Plantation, had a variety of names such as Scottish Antlers Tea, Highland Green, Sliver Needles and Dalreoch White. He rented out a former sheep farm in Scotland and even claimed he had a "special biodegradable polymer" that would make tea plants grow quickly. The court heard it looked like a black bin liner. Mr Robinson, who was also known as Thomas O'Brien or Tam O' Braan, created the "CV of a fantasist", according to prosecutors. He claimed he was a multi-millionaire, a bomb disposal expert and that he had invented the 'bag for life'. The fantasist boasted that the tea he had supplied to the Dorchester was "the Queen's favourite". (Image: James Chapelard / SWNS) Mr Robinson's fake claims that "our Scottish-grown teas come from gardens in our farming heartland in Perthshire and Dumfries and Galloway" was even reprinted on the Balmoral Hotel's Palm Court luxury tea menu. Mr Robinson also claimed to have given a presentation on his methods to the Royal Horticultural Society. The court heard how he had purchased over a tonne of tea grown abroad and had it delivered to an address in Glasgow, using a different company name. Mr Robinson falsely claimed his tea plants had been grown from cuttings and seeds at Dalreoch Farm, at Amulree in Perthshire. He scammed a dozen genuine tea growers in Scotland and one from Jersey between 2015 and 2016 by supplying them with 22,000 plants at £12.50 each. The scammer was actually importing tea plants at €3 each from a horticulturalist in Italy. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Mr Robinson had denied the crimes, claiming paperwork for his defence had been destroyed in a flood and his electronic records had been lost. He told jurors he was "proud" of his work, saying: "I wanted to leave something that would stand in the history of tea." Mr Robinson was eventually investigated in 2017 by Perth and Kinross Council which checked to see if he had a food processing licence. Ian Cowie, Senior Investigator at the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit, worked closely on the case after fraud concerns were raised within the food industry. He told The Mirror: "Concerns were raised by individuals within the food industry regarding the legitimacy of Mr Robinson's claims, which was subject to initial examination by environmental health officers of Perth & Kinross Council and Fife Council, who attended businesses premises in their respective areas and ultimately reported their suspicions to FSS that fraud may be involved. "With the assistance of both local authorities, FSS made initial enquiries, and then led on a full criminal investigation after discrepancies in supply sources, product provenance and business representations were identified. "Food fraud is often complex and deliberately concealed. In this case, Mr Robinson proved to be the consummate conman. He is highly articulate and operated in plain sight by courting media attention from press agencies across the UK and Europe to create the public illusion that he had succeeded in establishing commercially viable tea plantations in Scotland, through employing innovative techniques and specialist equipment he had invented. "He constructed a convincing story supported by fabricated documentation, false claims of scientific backing and associations with respected institutions, and went so far as claiming his tea had gained prestigious international tea awards proclaiming his to be the best tea in the world, which of course did not exist. Many of his victims were themselves influenced by his strong media footprint and misled by his explanation on what appeared to be a credible and innovative enterprise. "The investigation was particularly complex due to the nature of the fraud, the use of multiple aliases, and the elaborate efforts made by Mr Robinson to appear legitimate. Tracing the origins of the tea, verifying business transactions and unpicking fabricated claims required extensive time and specialist knowledge. We were committed to ensuring that the evidence gathered would stand up to scrutiny in court." Mr Robinson is due to sentenced at a later date, and faces proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Warped lies of frauster who sold Queen's 'favourite' fake tea to famous hotels
Thomas Robinson, 55, lied to the Dorchester Hotel in London and Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel by claiming his tea had been grown on farmland in Perthshire, Scotland, a court heard A convicted "conman" who boasted his home-grown Scottish tea was the Queen's"favourite" tricked five-star hotels into buying and serving the fake beverage. Thomas Robinson, 55, lied to the Dorchester Hotel in London and Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel by claiming his tea had been grown on farmland in Perthshire, Scotland, Falkirk Sheriff Court heard. Jurors heard how the tea had actually been imported, repackaged and resold at staggeringly inflated prices. He also defrauded genuine Scottish tea growers by selling them plants he claimed were grown in Scotland. Jurors took just six hours find Mr Robinson guilty of defrauding tea growers, hotels and tea companies of nearly £553,000 following a three-week trial. The tea, which traded as The Wee Tea Plantation, had a variety of names such as Scottish Antlers Tea, Highland Green, Sliver Needles and Dalreoch White. He rented out a former sheep farm in Scotland and even claimed he had a "special biodegradable polymer" that would make tea plants grow quickly. The court heard it looked like a black bin liner. Mr Robinson, who was also known as Thomas O'Brien or Tam O' Braan, created the "CV of a fantasist", according to prosecutors. He claimed he was a multi-millionaire, a bomb disposal expert and that he had invented the 'bag for life'. The fantasist boasted that the tea he had supplied to London's Dorchester Hotel was "the Queen's favourite". Mr Robinson's fake claims that "our Scottish-grown teas come from gardens in our farming heartland in Perthshire and Dumfries and Galloway" was even reprinted on the Balmoral Hotel's Palm Court luxury tea menu. Mr Robinson also claimed to have given a presentation on his methods to the Royal Horticultural Society. The court heard how he had purchased over a tonne of tea grown abroad and had it delivered to an address in Glasgow, using a different company name. Mr Robinson falsely claimed his tea plants had been grown from cuttings and seeds at Dalreoch Farm, at Amulree in Perthshire. He scammed a dozen genuine tea growers in Scotland and one from Jersey between 2015 and 2016 by supplying them with 22,000 plants at £12.50 each. The scammer was actually importing tea plants at €3 each from a horticulturalist in Italy. Mr Robinson had denied the crimes, claiming paperwork for his defence had been destroyed in a flood and his electronic records had been lost. He told jurors he was "proud" of his work, saying: "I wanted to leave something that would stand in the history of tea." Mr Robinson was eventually investigated in 2017 by Perth and Kinross Council which checked to see if he had a food processing licence. Ian Cowie, Senior Investigator at the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit, worked closely on the case after fraud concerns were raised within the food industry. He told The Mirror: "Concerns were raised by individuals within the food industry regarding the legitimacy of Mr Robinson's claims, which was subject to initial examination by environmental health officers of Perth & Kinross Council and Fife Council, who attended businesses premises in their respective areas and ultimately reported their suspicions to FSS that fraud may be involved. "With the assistance of both local authorities, FSS made initial enquiries, and then led on a full criminal investigation after discrepancies in supply sources, product provenance and business representations were identified. "Food fraud is often complex and deliberately concealed. In this case, Mr Robinson proved to be the consummate conman. He is highly articulate and operated in plain sight by courting media attention from press agencies across the UK and Europe to create the public illusion that he had succeeded in establishing commercially viable tea plantations in Scotland, through employing innovative techniques and specialist equipment he had invented. "He constructed a convincing story supported by fabricated documentation, false claims of scientific backing and associations with respected institutions, and went so far as claiming his tea had gained prestigious international tea awards proclaiming his to be the best tea in the world, which of course did not exist. Many of his victims were themselves influenced by his strong media footprint and misled by his explanation on what appeared to be a credible and innovative enterprise. "The investigation was particularly complex due to the nature of the fraud, the use of multiple aliases, and the elaborate efforts made by Mr Robinson to appear legitimate. Tracing the origins of the tea, verifying business transactions and unpicking fabricated claims required extensive time and specialist knowledge. We were committed to ensuring that the evidence gathered would stand up to scrutiny in court." Mr Robinson is due to sentenced at a later date, and faces proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Star Wars Day - the original cast members then and now
It's been almost 38 years since the first Star Wars movie was released and the ever-expanding franchise is still firmly a fan favourite. In honour of Star Wars Day, take a look at the original cast of the award-winning films compared to the present day Nearly 40 years after the Star Wars film was released, it remains a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. And this weekend, fans will be glued to their screens to see the new installment in the ever-expanding franchise when the animated series Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld drops on Disney Plus - on Star Wars Day no less - 'May the Fourth be with you...' Whilst viewers love the modern additions to the franchise, including the live-action series Andor, they hold a special place in their hearts for the original stars of the movies, who famously united with newer cast members in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The seventh film in the franchise and part of the main 'Skywalker Saga' storyline, it saw some of the big stars reprise their career-defining roles, including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Peter Mayhew. They joined the likes of British actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, and Gwendoline Christie on the red carpet for the movie's premiere, in a golden moment for fans. In honour of Star Wars Day, the Mirror has decided to compare photos of the original stars at the 1980 premiere of The Empire Strikes Back, to their appearance at the 2015 screenings and more recent public sightings. Let's take a look... Mark Hamill Mark Hamill, who played young Jedi Luke Skywalker in the first few films and reprised the role for the 2015 installment, looked dapper in his suit and bow tie as he posed at the first premiere in New York with his wife Marilou York, who he married just two years before. These days, Hamill can still rock a tuxedo and is pictured below at this year's BAFTAs proving he can still kill a black tie look. Carrie Fisher Meanwhile, a stunning Carrie Fisher could be seen chatting with Princess Margaret inside the Dorchester Hotel at London's 1980 opening. The then-24-year-old wowed in a slinky gown as she pinned half her hair back – she'd moved on from the infamous hairdo in the first film, Star Wars: A New Hope. The iconic actress returned as a general in the new 2015 installment. With the change in title came a shift in Leia's costume, with the actress admitting that even the signature buns don't feature throughout the whole movie. Carrie passed away the following year in December 2016 aged 60, after suffering from cardiac arrest, with a toxicology report finding that she had opiates in her system at the time. She did, however, still star in the next two installments of the recent trilogy, appearing in The Last Jedi - which she had finished filming before her tragic death, and was touchingly dedicated to her memory. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker also featured the iconic star, with the filmmakers using unseen footage shot during the seventh film, and getting her daughter Billie Lourd to step in to film a flashback scene, before digitally altering her face to replace it with Carrie's. "Billie was playing her mother," the Visual Effects Supervisor of the film told Yahoo. 'It was a poignant thing, and something that nobody took lightly — that she was willing to stand in for her mom." Harrison Ford Harrison Ford was 35 when he first played the role of Han Solo and he looked just as chuffed at 73-years-old to be returning to the iconic character of Han Solo.. When celebrating The Force Awakens, Ford was joined by his wife Calista Flockhart, who he married in 2010, during the Force Awakens premiere. The silver fox was dressed in a black suit with a pale blue shirt beneath – a much more casual look than he opted for in 1980. Looking equally happy with the glitzy event was his then-51-year-old wife, who stunned in an elegant black gown with silver detailing along the neckline. She beamed as she stopped for the paps with her hubby and wore a pop of bright red lipstick to add to her glam look, with her hair in gentle waves resting on her shoulders. It was great to see the pair smiling again after their horrific ordeal earlier the same year when Ford nearly died in a plane crash in March 2015. Firm Friends One thing we couldn't help but notice at the premieres for the original Star Wars Movies was how incredibly smart they all looked back then with their tuxes and bow ties - and just how well they appeared to get along. The cast looked like firm friends during the photo call for the franchise's second installment, The Empire Strikes Back back in 1980. The lead three – Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill – are joined by David Prowse (Darth Vader), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Kenny Baker (R2-D2) in one shot. And as they posed outside the Dorchester Hotel for the London premiere, the gang arranged themselves in height order – from Peter Mayhew's massive 2.21-metre frame all the way to Kenny Baker's 1.12 metre height. Both Mayhew and Baker have reprised their roles for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. While Prowse's character was killed off in the 1983 movie Return of the Jedi, the Dark Side has a new recruit in the form of Adam Driver's Kylo Ren.
See - Sada Elbalad
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Anwar Elkamony Honored at The Grand Ball of Princes and Princesses Monte-Carlo in London
Ali abo dashish In a night of royal elegance and historical significance, Egyptian champion and humanitarian Captain Anwar Elkamony was honored at the prestigious Grand Ball of Princes and Princesses Monte-Carlo, held for the first time ever in England at the iconic Dorchester Hotel in London. Curated by world-renowned soprano and cultural and UNICEF ambassador Delia Grace Noble, the event brought together an elite gathering of princes, princesses, aristocrats, and international figures in a majestic celebration of tradition, beauty, and humanitarian vision. Anwar Elkamony is globally recognized as the first athlete in history to return to professional international sport after a bone marrow transplant, and is the founder of the HopeGiver Campaign—a movement that has now spread across more than 30 countries, igniting hope and resilience in children and communities worldwide. Being honored in such a historic and meaningful celebration is beyond words. I thank Delia Grace Noble for her brilliance, grace, and vision in making this event a message to the world,' said Elkamony. 'This moment is not just personal—it represents every dreamer who chooses light over fear.' The celebration marked not only a global recognition, but the beginning of a new cultural bridge. Plans are now in motion to bring the Grand Ball of Princes and Princesses Monte-Carlo to Egypt for the very first time—uniting Egyptian heritage with international elegance and purpose. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple
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Scotsman
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Paloma Faith appointed musical director for crucial fundraising event
Paloma will bring her wealth of musical talent to this year's gala | No Credit Caudwell Children is excited to announce that award-winning singer-songwriter Paloma Faith will serve as musical director for The Butterfly Ball 2025 this June. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hosted at the Dorchester Hotel in London, The Butterfly Ball is one of the most iconic fundraising events of the year - and brings together an exclusive guest list of celebrities, philanthropists, and business leaders to support Caudwell Children, a charity dedicated to transforming the lives of disabled and autistic children and their families. The event seeks to raise vital funds to provide life-changing support and services, including mobility aids, sensory equipment, autism assessments/autism services and other essential resources for children with disabilities. In addition to a spectacular evening of music and entertainment, guests will enjoy fine dining, luxury auctions, and a truly immersive experience in one of London's most prestigious settings. Reacting to her new role, Paloma Faith said: 'I'm honoured to be joining Caudwell Children as Musical Director for this incredible event. 'I believe music has the power to change lives and I'm so excited to be a part of this special evening that will raise funds for such an important cause. 'Can't wait to see you all there!' Paloma Faith is an award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, best-selling author, TV personality and podcast host - amongst other incredible achievements. She has been releasing platinum-selling albums since her 2009 debut, 'Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?', and most recently her sixth studio album, 'The Glorification of Sadness'. The star will bring her wealth of musical talent, passion for the arts, and philanthropic spirit to this highly anticipated gala. As Musical Director, she will curate a night of extraordinary performances, ensuring that the event will be a highlight of the summer social calendar. John Caudwell, founder of Caudwell Children, said: 'Since its inception, The Butterfly Ball has made a significant impact on the lives of children up and down the country. 'The fundraiser started off in my Staffordshire home and in 2007 moved to London as it got bigger each year. 'Having the incredible talent of Paloma Faith as our Musical Director celebrating our 25th year means such a lot to me personally, but I know it will have a huge impact on the night and beyond.'
