Fraudster made more than £1m selling fake 'Scottish-grown tea'

A fraudster who tricked luxury hotels and stores into buying "Scottish-grown tea" that was actually from abroad made more than £1m from his criminal conduct, a court has heard. Thomas Robinson, 56, was jailed for three-and-a-half years last June after he was found guilty of a £550,000 scam that spanned five years from 2014. But Stirling Sheriff Court heard Robinson, who was known to his many customers as Tam O'Braan, profited by almost twice that amount. Now prosecutors are attempting to recover the money he made from the scam. Fiscal depute Asif Rashid said the "benefit amount" alleged by the Crown was £1.068m. Rashid said it had been thought the amount was even higher - £1.6m - but after eliminating an element of double counting the Crown submitted the lower figure. The revelation came during a preliminary hearing on an action by the Crown under the Proceeds of Crime Act to assess and confiscate the money Robinson made through fraud. How much Robinson is eventually ordered to pay the public purse will depend on his available assets, which have not yet been revealed in open court. Any defence challenge to the alleged benefit amount will also be considered. Trading as "The Wee Tea