Latest news with #FalkirkSheriffCourt
Scotsman
23-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
New home, new dispute with your lawyer… how to avoid buyer's regret
Patrick Campbell Corcoran on helping a new home purchase go smoothly Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, 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... Buying a new home is one of the most stressful events a person can go through. Being part of a court action is also up there in terms of potentially difficult experiences. Imagine, then, the stress of buying a new home, and a problem arising resulting in you having to sue your conveyancing lawyers. This was the situation which resulted in a recent decision of Falkirk Sheriff Court (which the writer is not involved in). The decision related to the purchase of a new home located adjacent to a greenfield site and presumably commanding relaxing views in a quiet setting. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To the shock of the purchasers, they discovered after moving in that there was a proposal to build a housing development on the greenfield site. Doubtless that shock increased when the purchasers then discovered that prior to the purchase, their own solicitors knew of this proposed development but did not tell them. The purchasers sued their solicitors for negligence, arguing that if they had known of the development, they would not have purchased. Take time to look at all the documents that form part of the contract, warns Patrick Campbell Corcoran The purchasers' solicitors failed to pass on information contained in the Property Enquiry Certificate. The Property Enquiry Certificate pulls together information from council records, particularly planning and building standards documents. The most recently reported decision focused on the solicitors' attempt to have the claim dismissed without going to an evidential hearing, which was unsuccessful. As far as can be seen from public court records, the dispute in Falkirk Sheriff Court rumbles on. While the vast majority of home purchases in Scotland go through smoothly, that court action highlights that problems can and do arise – and when they do the issues can be serious. Aside from planning issues, other disputes that have arisen in the past relating to how solicitors have acted have included not checking the seller's title properly and a dispute arising about boundaries and access, and disputes about the lack of any building warrants for substantial works. Many people will view the start of the summer as time for a fresh start and this might involve buying a new home. Before you do so, here are a few practical tips (before you conclude the contract to purchase): Have a detailed look at all the documents that form part of the contract, and the documents that your lawyer has sent to you; Don't be afraid to ask for a detailed discussion with your lawyer to run through things, even if there is pressure to 'do the deal' near the entry date. If you don't understand something, ask; Make sure any finance being provided to assist with the purchase of the property has been confirmed and will be available when required; Don't send money to anyone unless you have spoken to your lawyer via a telephone number you are certain is correct. Email interception by fraudsters is alarmingly frequent, and if your deposit goes missing the day before purchase, it won't help the stress levels. Check your insurance policies to see if you have legal expenses insurance. Many household policies have this tucked away. If in doubt, speak to an insurance expert and see if it is worth getting a stand-alone legal expenses policy (in case something goes wrong with a purchase).
Scottish Sun
20-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Woman, 21, charged after fatal crash where three men died on Scots road
She is due to appear at Falkirk Sheriff Court at a later date NICKED Woman, 21, charged after fatal crash where three men died on Scots road Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN has been charged after three men died in a fatal crash in Falkirk. The 21-year-old was arrested and charged in connection with the alleged incident on Moss Road near Dunmore. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Cops confirmed a 21-year-old woman was arrested and charged in connection with the crash Credit: Alamy Connor Page, 21, Reece Williams, 23, and Lewis Soden, 24, lost their lives following the alleged incident. They were travelling in a white Ford Focus which came off the road around 6.15pm on July 26. Connor, Reece and Lewis were all passengers in the vehicle. The female driver of a white Ford Focus has since been arrested and charged in connection with a road traffic offence. She is due to appear at Falkirk Sheriff Court at a later date. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. We previously told how the grieving families paid tribute to the three men. A statement from Reece's relatives read: "Reece will forever be a much-loved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend. "There will not be a day where we don't hold space to remember Reece and the memories that we made together. "We'd like to express our thanks to the emergency services, witnesses and to everyone who has sent their condolences." Light plane crashes near Boston leaving one person dead and second fighting for their life as feds launch probe Lewis' family said: "Lewis has and will forever be a much-loved son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend to many. "There will not be a day where Lewis won't be missed and where we won't hold room in our hearts to remember him and the memories that we all made together. "We would also like to express our thanks to all the emergency services, witnesses and to everyone who has sent their condolences."
Edinburgh Live
30-05-2025
- 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
30-05-2025
- 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.
Scottish Sun
29-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Conman dubbed Tetley Tam caged for £550,000 scam buying cheap foreign tea and selling as 'Scottish'
The fraudster flogged 22,000 plants to growers for £12.50 each TEA LEAF Conman dubbed Tetley Tam caged for £550,000 scam buying cheap foreign tea and selling as 'Scottish' A CONMAN dubbed Tetley Tam was today caged for a £550,000 scam — buying cheap foreign tea then selling it at premium prices as 'Scottish'. Thomas Robinson, 55, told customers his cuppa-brewing leaves had been grown in fields north of the border. But he was actually importing them for a fraction of the cost he charged the likes of Edinburgh's prestigious Balmoral Hotel. An expert told Falkirk Sheriff Court tea from Africa could fetch 100 times as much if sold as 'Scots-grown'. Trading as The Wee Tea Plantation, the fraudster flogged 22,000 plants to growers for £12.50 each. He either passed them off as Scottish or allowed customers to assume they were. But they had been acquired from Italy for less than £3 each. Robinson bought more than a tonne of tea from overseas and repackaged it with names like Dalreoch White, Scottish Antlers Tea and Highland Green. The Balmoral Hotel was duped into boasting: 'Our Scottish-grown teas come from gardens in our farming heartlands in Perthshire and Dumfries and Galloway.' The fantasist alleged one brand was 'the Queen's favourite'. Robinson also claimed to be a scientist who'd invented the 'Bag For Life', a bomb disposal expert, and that he'd worked for ex-US President Barack Obama. Prosecutor Joanne Ritchie said he'd formed 'a scheme to make money on the basis of lies'. Man Awarded $50m From Starbucks After Hot Drink Causes Third-Degree Burns Jurors convicted Robinson, of Amulree, Perthshire, of defrauding tea growers of £274,354 and hotels and tea companies of £278,634 between 2014 and 2019. Sheriff Keith O'Mahony remanded Robinson in custody, warning him: 'There will be significant sentencing consequences for you.'
