Tea conman jailed for £550k rip-off of luxury businesses

A fraudster who conned luxury businesses into buying tea he claimed was grown in Scotland, making more than £550,000, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

- LUCINDA CAMERON

Thomas Robinson (55) claimed to have cultivated the tea at his Perthshire estate using innovative techniques, but in reality it was bought from wholesalers and grown outside of Scotland.

Operating under the business name The Wee Tea Plantation, Robinson who was based at Dalreoch Farm, Amulree - fraudulently sold the tea to high-profile clients in the hospitality sector between January 2014 and February 2019.

Representatives of the Balmoral Hotel, the Dorchester Hotel and a company acting on behalf of Fortnum & Mason were among those tricked by the fraudster, who had claimed to have sold tea to customers including Kensington Palace.

A Food Standards Scotland (FSS) investigation found Robinson also misled genuine Scottish tea growers by selling them plants under the false pretence they were a unique, locally-grown variety.

On May 25, he was found guilty of two counts of fraud to a value of almost £553,000 after a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court, which followed an investigation by FSS. Robinson, also known as Tam O'Braan and Thomas O'Brien, tried to bolster his credibility by fabricating academic qualifications and industry awards.

On Wednesday, Robinson was sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court. Hours earlier, his lawyer withdrew from the case.

Representing himself, Robinson begged for "compassion" as he appeared by videolink from HMP Low Moss, wearing a green sweatshirt.

Sheriff Keith O'Mahony refused a bid to defer sentence and said it was in the public interest that it went ahead, as Robinson was "articulate" enough to represent himself.