Fraudster jailed for duping luxury hotels into buying his fake Scottish tea
Thomas Robinson, 55, who also went by Thomas O'Brien or Tam O'Braan, was found guilt of deceiving luxury stores and hotel groups into buying his 'unique' Scottish-grown tea that was in fact wholesale leaves he had imported from around the world and repackaged.
His victims included five-star hotels like London's Dorchester and Edinburgh's Balmoral which are known for their grand afternoon tea experiences.
The tea menu at the Balmoral's Palm Court included names like Scottish Antlers Tea and Highland Green and based on descriptions Robinson gave them, boasted 'Our Scottish-grown teas come from gardens in our farming heartlands in Perthshire and Dumfries and Galloway'.
He even claimed his Scottish tea was 'the Queen's favourite'.
He also defrauded a group of genuine Scottish tea growers by selling them plants under false pretences.
Operating under the business name The Wee Tea Plantation, he pretended to cultivate unique Scottish tea plants on his Perthshire estate but prosecutors proved the product had been purchased elsewhere before being repackaged.
Robinson then fraudulently sold the plants to high-profile clients in the hospitality and retailers between January 2014 and February 2019 for five times the cost.
The court heard he was importing the plants for three Euros each – around £2.50 - and collecting them from a mailbox in Glasgow and then selling them for £12.50.
Robinson also fabricated his academic status by falsely claiming he had qualifications in agronomy and agriculture and had obtained awards for his tea from industry bodies.
He claimed to have found a way to make his tea grow in half the usual time – using a 'special biodegradable polymer' which the prosecution said looked like black bin liner – and claimed to have given a presentation on his methods to the Royal Horticultural Society.
He was sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court after a jury found him guilty of two charges of being concerned in a fraudulent scheme following an investigation by Food Standards Scotland.
He will now be subject to confiscation proceedings under Proceeds of Crime legislation to recover monies illegally obtained.
Ron McNaughton, Head of the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit (SFCIU) at Food Standards Scotland, said: 'We welcome today's sentencing as a clear signal that food fraud is a serious crime with serious consequences.
'A three-and-a-half year custodial sentence reflects the scale and impact of Mr Robinson's deception. His actions caused real financial and reputational harm to individuals, businesses and a developing sector of genuine Scottish tea producers.
'This outcome is the result of a complex and painstaking investigation involving a dedicated team at FSS and the cooperation of partner agencies and key witnesses.
'It demonstrates that those who set out to mislead consumers and defraud businesses will be held accountable.
'Food fraud undermines consumer trust and damages the integrity of Scotland's globally respected food and drink sector. We remain committed to detecting and disrupting criminal activity of this nature.'
Helen Nisbet, Procurator Fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: 'This was a planned and deliberate fraud. 'Thomas Robinson misled genuine Scottish tea growers by selling them plants he falsely claimed were a unique, locally grown variety.
'Fraud is not a victimless crime. Individuals, businesses, and genuine Scottish tea growers suffered financial and reputational harm as a consequence of Robinson's deceit. 'But thanks to partnership working between Food Standards Scotland, Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, he has been brought to account for his crimes.
'We are committed to tackling financial crime of this kind.'
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