A former royal gardener has been sentenced after being found guilty of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child. Andrew David Mellin, 71, from Blackpool, appeared at Preston Magistrates Court for sentencing last week.
Mellin was reported to police following a sting by a paedophile vigilante group. He had made a not guilty plea at a hearing before his August trial at Lancaster Magistrates Court. The charge related to being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child under 16 on or around February 24, 2024.
Sentence and court orders
He was sentenced on September 29 and given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. He was also made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, the court heard. Mellin was ordered to pay £500 in court costs.
He was first arrested in 2024 after being reported to police following the sting by a vigilante group led by James Hunter. The group visited Mellin’s Blackpool home on February 24, 2024, live-streaming the encounter on Facebook.
Allegations and claims
Mellin invited the group into his home, where he was accused of grooming and sending sexually explicit images to a 15-year-old boy online. Mellin, an artist, was found to have dozens of framed pictures and paintings of the Royal Family inside his property, including images of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Lancashire Post reported he also had numerous framed letters of thanks from royal family members, including Princess Diana. During the sting, Mellin told the group he was a retired royal gardener who used to work at Kensington Palace and Balmoral Castle. He said he worked for King Charles for 42 years as a Climate and Gardening advisor.
Arrest and aftermath
In the live stream, he claimed he is “very close” with the royals and worked with them last in 2023, around the time of King Charles’ Coronation. He called Meghan Markle “vile” and claimed he used to see Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry every day when he worked at Kensington Palace. It is not known if this is true.
The vigilante group called police to Mellin’s home, where he was arrested and taken into custody. At the time of his arrest, he was 68. The Lancashire Post reported that Buckingham Palace was unable to comment due to its “staff privacy policy”. The Daily Express has also contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
