EDINBURGH BUTCHER JONATHAN CROMBIE, WINNER OF BRITAIN'S BEST BURGER, CAUGHT DOWNLOADING CHILD ABUSE IMAGES
In May 2014, Edinburgh's renowned butcher Jonathan Crombie was sentenced for possessing indecent images of children.Crombie, who had recently received the 'Best Burger' award in a national competition, admitted to downloading numerous inappropriate images and videos at his shop, Crombies of Edinburgh.
The court heard that Crombie, 45 years old, pleaded guilty to possessing child abuse images on a computer located within his shop between September 5, 2005, and January 17 of the same year.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court sentenced him to 100 hours of community service, ordered him to register as a sex offender for two years, and noted that only one of the seventy-one images found was accessible, with a hard drive containing 69 movies that were inaccessible.
His defense lawyer, Mark Harrower, explained to Sheriff Nigel Ross that Crombie had previously deleted the images and that the hard drive's data could not be accessed due to its age.
Harrower stated, "Mr Crombie has suffered greatly because of this.
He has resigned from the company for which he has worked for 30 years, having started as a child.
He has also apologized to the staff." Sheriff Ross remarked on the nature of the crime, highlighting that possessing indecent images is not victimless, but recognized some mitigating factors.
He noted the relatively low number of images compared to similar cases, the fact that many were beyond Crombie's access, and that there was no evidence of sharing.
The sheriff added, "The assessment concluded you bear no danger to children and pose no serious risk to the community.
I understand you have health and psychological issues, and I acknowledge the considerable impact this has had on you, including losing your job." This incident overshadowed Crombie's public image despite recent accolades.
Just a week prior, he had celebrated winning Britain's Best Burger at the Q Guild BBQ Competition in Oxford.
His arrest came after police traced an IP address used to download child abuse material back to his shop.
Sources reveal that Crombie admitted to the downloads amid community shock.
A close observer commented, "A lot of people work there, but Jonathan eventually admitted downloading the images.
Given his prominence, the fact he has another darker side is sickening." The shop, Crombies of Edinburgh, established in 1955 by Crombie’s grandfather Alex, is famous for its quality meats and diverse sausage range, serving top restaurants and winning multiple awards, including Scotland's Best Butcher’s Beef Sausage.
The company's achievements and reputation contrast sharply with the criminal behavior admitted by Crombie.
A Scottish Courts spokeswoman confirmed that Crombie was charged and pleaded guilty in April 2014, with sentencing scheduled for May 20, 2014.
Following the arrest, Crombie’s wife declined to comment, and staff indicated he had left the establishment.
