Man who sold ordinary tea as unique Scottish variety found guilty of fraud
A man who passed off ordinary tea as a unique, Scottish-grown variety and sold it to luxury hotels and retailers has been found guilty of fraud.
Thomas Robinson, 52, claimed to have cultivated the tea at his Perthshire estate using innovative techniques, but in reality it was sourced from wholesalers outside Scotland.
Operating under the business name The Wee Tea Plantation, Robinson fraudulently sold the tea to high-profile clients in the hospitality sector between January 2014 and February 2019.
In addition, Robinson, who is also known as Tam O'Braan and Thomas O'Brien, misled genuine Scottish tea growers by selling them plants under the false pretence they were a unique, locally-grown variety.
Thomas Robinson was found guilty of fraud totalling nearly £600,000 following an investigation by the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit. He defrauded luxury hotels and retailers by falsely claiming to supply premium tea grown in Scotland. Read more at https://t.co/16EQwtwS8V pic.twitter.com/fGPYUhJSxN
— Food Standards Scotland (@FSScot) May 29, 2025
He also bolstered his credibility by fabricating academic qualifications and industry awards.
An investigation by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) found Robinson's misrepresentations led to his clients losing a total of £584,783.
Robinson was found guilty of two counts of fraud by a jury at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday.
Ron McNaughton, head of Scottish food crime and incidents unit at FSS, welcomed the verdict.
'This was not a victimless crime – individuals, businesses, and an emerging sector of genuine Scottish tea growers suffered real financial and reputational harm as a result of deliberate deception.
'I would like to thank the witnesses who came forward and supported the investigation – their co-operation was essential to achieving this outcome.
'It's a strong example of how partnership working and the dedication and skill of our investigative teams make it increasingly difficult for those committing food fraud to go undetected.
'We remain committed to protecting Scotland's food and drink sector from criminal activity and maintaining consumer trust.'
He added that the FSS investigation had been 'highly complex and protracted', requiring co-ordination with 'partner agencies'.
He continued: 'Fraud of this nature is often difficult to detect and even harder to prove, but we were determined to pursue every line of inquiry to build the strongest possible case.'
Robinson is due to be sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court on June 25.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
3 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
46 Photos Of Things From The 19th And 18th Century
This 1800s 25¢ bill: This 1880s ID card: This 18th century diving suit: These 1800s shoes for crushing chestnuts: This 18th century fire alarm that you'd need to hit with a hammer to alert the village of a fire: This 18th century machine that let researchers read up to eight open books at once: This 1840s medical inhaler that administered anesthesia: This 18th century condom: This 1890s brass knuckle pistol: This 1850s women's self defense glove: This 1800s hidden staircase in a Victorian home: These 18th century sword-shaped Chinese coins: This 1830s clock: This 1700s oil lamp: This 1880s Victorian dollhouse: This 1740 wheelchair for Holy Roman Empress Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel: This 1820 coffin collar that prevented grave robbers from stealing corpses: This 18th century Scottish mortsafe to stop graverobbers: This 1890 steamer trunk that converts into a dresser: This 1880s penny farthing bike: This 1850 $10 bill: 1890s manners book: This 18th century gaming device that came before the pinball machine: This mid-1700s well that was glassed over and eventually became part of a home's kitchen: This 18th century French chair for reading books: This 1750s wall latern: This 18th century mansion's dog grave: This 18th century case of amputation instruments: This 18th century lock that requires four keys to open: This 18th century palace hall: This 1700s graffiti on a cathedral: This 18th century building in Norland, Norway: This 1700s lighthouse Fresnel lens: This 1800s sundial alarm clock: This 1800s pepperbox pistol: This 19th Century guide on how much you could sue for loosing a limb: This 1830 cost of a semester at Harvard: This 18th century uranium glass china that glows under UV light: This 1800s cemetery that was preserved in the basement of a building: This 1840 Japanese shadow puppet guide: This 1880 tap and die set (aka toolkit): This 1821 recipe for Ginger Ale: This 1800s corner chair: This 1800s telephone: This 19th century Victorian home library: And finally, this 19th century guide on who to avoid in the marriage market:
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man Arrested for Allegedly Calling in a Fake Bomb Threat After He Missed His Spirit Airlines Flight at Detroit Airport
A man was arrested after he allegedly called in a fake bomb threat when he missed his Spirit Airlines flight from an airport in Detroit on June 5 Charles Robinson allegedly made the threat after he "was told at the gate that he needed to rebook," the United States Attorney's Office said "The safety of our guests and team members is our top priority," Spirit Airlines said in a statement to PEOPLEA man was arrested after he allegedly called in a fake bomb threat when he missed his Spirit Airlines flight. Charles Robinson planned to travel from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport to Los Angeles on Thursday, June 5, 'but missed the flight and was told at the gate that he needed to rebook," according to a news release from the United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan. Robinson, 23, then allegedly proceeded to call Spirit Airlines at approximately 6:25 a.m. to report a threat, stating that he had 'information' about how there would "be someone who's gonna try to blow up the airport" and 'there's gonna be someone that's gonna try to blow up that flight, 2145," officials said. He allegedly also gave a description of an individual, telling Spirit Airlines, per the attorney's office, "They're going to be carrying a bomb through the TSA" and "They're still threatening to do it, they're still attempted to do it, they said it's not going to be able to be detected. Please don't let that flight board.' The district attorney's office said the flight was immediately postponed, and passengers and crew were subsequently deplaned. Bomb sniffing dogs and FBI agents were then 'deployed to sweep the airplane," but no 'bomb or explosives were found," according to the news release. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. When Robinson eventually returned to the airport to board another flight, he was detained, the district attorney's office said. He later appeared in federal court, where he was released on bond. His next court appearance is set for June 27. 'No American wants to hear the words 'bomb' and 'airplane' in the same sentence. Making this kind of threat undermines our collective sense of security and wastes valuable law enforcement resources,' U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon said in a statement. 'Anyone who threatens to bomb an aircraft and endanger public safety will be swiftly investigated and brought to justice,' added Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. The FBI continues to investigate the incident. Joci Moore, one of the passengers of the flight, recalled the harrowing incident to CBS News. She said the plane had begun to back away from the gate when the captain told them that they were 'being held up.' 'So something at the gate had happened,' she told the outlet. 'You could just kind of feel something was wrong, but we didn't really know what was wrong.' Moore added that passengers were left on the plane for three hours before they were then asked to exit the plane without their belongings. She said they were then taken back to the terminal and waited an additional two hours before they could board the plane again after it was inspected and cleared by police. In a statement to PEOPLE, a Spirt Airlines spokesperson said, "Law enforcement was requested to meet Spirit Airlines flight 2145 (DTW-LAX) prior to departure from Detroit (DTW) due to a potential security issue.' "The aircraft taxied to a remote location, and guests were safely deplaned and transported back to the terminal. The guests were rescreened, and the aircraft was inspected and cleared by law enforcement," they continued. Added the airline's spokesperson: "The safety of our guests and team members is our top priority, and the flight reboarded and departed to Los Angeles (LAX)." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Motorbike rider dies in Scottish beauty spot crash after being airlifted to hospital
A motorbike rider has tragically lost his life following a crash in a Scottish beauty spot. Highland emergency services raced to the scene on the A87 at Loch Cluanie after the alarm was raised at around 11.25am on Friday, June 6. Officers were responding to reports of a crash involving a Yamaha motorbike, the Daily Record reports. READ MORE: Sir Terry Wogan's wife Lady Helen leaves huge sum in her will after sad death READ MORE: Major Madeleine McCann update as bombshell new 'police tip-off' claim emerges The 29-year-old male rider was taken by air ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where he sadly later died. Police are now appealing for information. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Sergeant Douglas Scott said: 'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who died and our enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing. 'I am appealing for anyone who saw the crash and who hasn't already spoken to officers to get in touch. 'I would also ask anyone who was in the area at the time and may have dash-cam footage which could assist to contact us.' Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 1214 of June 6, 2025.
