Hamilton Sheriff Court has given community payback order and an order to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work to a scalloper skipper who has been found to have treated his crew as slaves.
Tom Nicholson is also the subject of a restriction of liberty order for a period of twelve months. He pleaded guilty to charges under maritime legislation and has been sentenced over a breach of maritime health and safety regulations. The conviction came after the court heard three days of evidence from two migrant seafarers from Ghana.
Evidence gathered by prosecutors from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) showed Tom Nicholson imposed arduous working conditions on five migrant crew, ordering them to work round-the-clock shifts and restricted access to food on board Sea Lady.
One crewman told the court they were expected to work non-stop without any breaks. Another said the crew were not provided with adequate food or given any training or safety instructions. Instead, they had to resort to eating octopus or fish from the catch.
Tom Nicholson also refused to provide proper training for the men or allow adequate rest periods during prolonged periods at sea.
The offences took place between July and December 2017 while Nicholson worked for Kirkcudbright-based TN Trawlers, a fishing company owned by his family.
When one crew member confronted Nicholson over their conditions, he told him he was ‘a slave’.
‘These men showed commendable courage in coming forward to provide difficult testimony in court. Their accounts detailed the harrowing and completely unacceptable conditions they were forced to endure under the captaincy of Tom Nicholson,’ stated COPFS Prosecutor Sineidin Corrins.
‘Those testimonies helped to ensure he was convicted of a serious offence. They suffered significant trauma while he was in charge of the vessel and responsible for their well-being and safety. Tom Nicholson has now been brought to account by the court for his offending conduct.’
In 2024 a BBC report revealed that TN Trawlers as being at the centre of a longstanding investigation into allegations of human trafficking, after which 35 men who worked for TN Trawlers were later identified by the Home Office as victims of modern slavery. In October 2024, a group of fishermen from Ghana were awarded £20,000 each in compensation by the UK government.
