{"id":228739,"date":"2026-05-11T04:19:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T04:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/228739\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T04:19:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T04:19:12","slug":"fake-celtic-scout-doctor-and-interpol-agent-identities-used-by-serial-fantasist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/228739\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake Celtic scout, doctor and Interpol agent &#8211; identities used by serial fantasist"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Anthony Adams became Dr Anthony Brennan and created various bogus personas, including targeting an Under 10s football team and a bereaved family.<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"dailyrecord\" class=\"PremiumArticleBadge_premium-badge-image__ceBDv\" data-testid=\"premium-byline-dailyrecord\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/assets\/dailyrecord\/images\/premium-byline-dailyrecord.svg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>04:30, 11 May 2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_proxy.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"&quot;Anthony Adams&quot; aka Anthony Brennan outside Ayr Sheriff Court\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">&#8220;Anthony Adams&#8221; aka Anthony Brennan outside Ayr Sheriff Court<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The relentless deceptions of<a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/news\/scottish-news\/bogus-celtic-scout-poses-fake-26724222\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\"> Anthony Brennan<\/a> have been chronicled in the Daily Record for eight years. Cases have ranged from amusing to deeply sinister &#8211; and several have involved innocent victims being duped out of money and the <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/news\/scottish-news\/fantasist-convinced-blind-ex-serviceman-30199399\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Walter Mitty <\/a>passing himself off as a <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/news\/notorious-fantasist-exposed-daily-record-26688134\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">doctor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The latest court conviction for the schemer came at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, where he admitted defrauding blind army veteran <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/news\/scottish-news\/fantasist-convinced-blind-ex-serviceman-30199399\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Bill Mackie<\/a>, taking medals and cash from trusting Bill and sending him on a wild goose chase to Tanzania.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS263975159.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Anthony Adams, fake Celtic scout, at Ayr Sheriff court\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Anthony Adams, fake Celtic scout, at Ayr Sheriff court<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Our barely believable revelations chart how Bill, 72, and wife Heather, 67, bought plane tickets for <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/news\/local-news\/dumfries-galloway-woman-aiming-help-35794931\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Tanzania <\/a>and turned up for a meeting with the African nation\u2019s foreign minister in the capital of Dogdoma in 2023.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Bill and Heather were humiliated when the politician was not available &#8211; and had never heard of any meeting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He was so furious at the wasted 9,000 mile round trip that he reported Brennan, 32, to the police &#8211; presenting officers with Daily Record stories that documented the scammer\u2019s previous deception antics.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS302341989.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Pic shows Bill Mackie and wife Heather Mackie pictured in Tanzania the couple were scammed by Brennan. \" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Pic shows Bill Mackie and wife Heather Mackie pictured in Tanzania the couple were scammed by Brennan. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He also told how Brennan made his own fake <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/news\/scottish-news\/steven-lyons-moll-arrested-after-36998236\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Interpol <\/a>card, telling Bill he had the power to arrest international gangsters. It is believed that there are many more victims of <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/news\/scottish-news\/fantasist-convinced-blind-ex-serviceman-30199399\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Brennan <\/a>that have not yet come to light.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The delusions of grandeur that have motivated the bogus doctor have been in place for many years but we caught up with him in 2018, when he recruited trainee first aiders, who thought they were employed by a bona-fide private ambulance company.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">First aiders have accused a Walter Mitty employer of using them to<a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/news\/scottish-news\/walter-mitty-first-aid-boss-13461319 \" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\"> \u201cchase ambulances\u201d<\/a> and failing to pay wages.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS405456457.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Record has followed Brennan's scams&#10;\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Record has followed Brennan&#8217;s scams\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Then aged just 23 and going by the name Anthony Adams, the scammer held open days to recruit staff &#8211; including doctors, nurses, medics, and drivers &#8211; for National Events Medical Services, claiming he would be covering major sporting events.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But staff told how he charged them \u00a3250 for training and uniforms &#8211; then refused to cough up for work they did.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The work involved waiting for alerts via an electronic alert system then trying to beat the Scottish Ambulance Service to the job.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS263301431.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Anthony Adams tranforms into Dr Anthony Brennan, fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts He bought an honorary doctorate online (from the California Church and University Institute, a bullshit diploma generator site , for $79). He told everyone it was from the University of California. \" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Anthony Adams tranforms into Dr Anthony Brennan, fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts He bought an honorary doctorate online (from the California Church and University Institute, a bullshit diploma generator site , for $79). He told everyone it was from the University of California. <\/p>\n<p>Timeline of a fantasist&#8217;s life of deception<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Oct 2018: First aiders accused a Brennan &#8211; than using the name Tony Adams &#8211; of using them to \u201cchase ambulances\u201d and failing to pay wages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In November 2018, We were contacted by victims of a defibrillator scam. They claimed sold them medical devices which didn\u2019t arrive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Between July and Oct 2021 &#8211; Brennan pretends to be a surgeon and weedles his way into the lives of the family of a motorbike crash victim.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">April 2022 &#8211; we told how Adams changed his name to Dr Anthony Brennan &#8211; and had paid \u00a360 for a fake doctorate from a bogus university.He then passed off the work of a world famous scientist (the real Dr Anthony Brennan) as his own.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">April 2023 &#8211; Brennan steals the medals and cash from Bill Mackie.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Jan 2024 &#8211; Brennan is jailed for impersonating a surgeon at Crosshouse Hospital and distressing the dead man\u2019s family with his lies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Here are just some of the other outrageous deceptions concocted by Anthony Brennan\/Adams:<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In April 2022 we told how Adams had paid \u00a360 for a fake doctorate from a bogus university &#8211; and changed his name to Dr Anthony Brennan. These deceptions allowed him to be accepted as a member of the Royal Society for Arts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">After signing up for the academia.edu website, which gathers the achievements of bona-fide academics, the Walter Mitty character passed off award-winning work by world-famous US scientist Professor Anthony Brennan as his own.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Record later spoke to the real Dr Brennan, who furiously denounced the ginger impersonator.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS164706538.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Pix show Anthony Adams aka Tony Adams, aka Anthony Brennan - at the point of &quot;ambulance chasing&quot;\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Pix show Anthony Adams aka Tony Adams, aka Anthony Brennan &#8211; at the point of &#8220;ambulance chasing&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Those revelations followed more alarming news in 2022 on the fraudster, who\u2019d been passing himself off as a Celtic scout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Brennan was reported to police after approaching the Under-10 boys\u2019 coach and saying he\u2019d been sent by the giant Glasgow club.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He was convicted at Ayr Sheriff Court and given a Community Payback Order for 18 months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Adams had earlier been accused of stealing North Ayrshire Council ID badges and clothing and impersonating a council employee. A not guilty plea to this charge was accepted.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"University Hospital Crosshouse \" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_SMP_KST_060616hospital_2.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"University Hospital Crosshouse \" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">University Hospital Crosshouse (Image: Kilmarnock standard)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In January, 2024, Brennan was finally jailed for six months after he pretended to be a surgeon and gained entry to restricted areas at Ayrshire\u2019s Crosshouse Hospital between July 3 and October 2021.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Cruel Brennan befriended the family of a man who died in a motorcycle accident &#8211; and spun a web of lies that led to him having a key role at the man\u2019s funeral.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He also told the dead man\u2019s sister the dead man had become a dad before he died &#8211; and falsely claimed to have heard his dying words.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard that NHS chiefs had re-examined their security measures at Crosshouse after Adams\u2019 deception raised \u201csignificant concerns\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google\u2019s preferred sources. Click <a aria-label=\"HERELink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=dailyrecord.co.uk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Anthony Adams became Dr Anthony Brennan and created various bogus personas, including targeting an Under 10s football team&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":228740,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[11972,116579,8504,116580,5198,152],"class_list":{"0":"post-228739","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tanzania","8":"tag-courts","9":"tag-crosshouse-hospital","10":"tag-financial-crime","11":"tag-north-ayrshire-council","12":"tag-premium","13":"tag-tanzania"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@africa\/116554024162735755","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}