Restaurant owner accused of killing peanut allergy man had 'reckless' attitude to customer safety

A restaurant owner accused of manslaughter over the death of a man with a peanut allergy who ate one of his curries, ignored repeated warnings he could be putting customers' lives at risk, a court has heard.

Teesside Crown Court was told on Monday 9 May that Mohammed Zaman had a "reckless and cavalier" attitude to risk at his restaurant, the Indian Garden in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, before the death of customer Paul Wilson.

The 38-year-old suffered a severe anaphylactic shock in January 2014 after eating a takeaway that he had specifically asked to be nut-free. The jury was told that the words "no nuts" were written on the order form and on the lid of the curry he ate from.

Wilson was found dead by a flatmate at their home later that evening in Helperby, near Thirsk. The court heard how the 52-year-old restaurateur from Aylesham Court, Huntington had "put profit before safety" when he replaced an almond powder with a cheaper groundnut powder, containing peanuts.

The jury heard how a week before Wilson's death, a trading standards officer found evidence of peanuts in another meal which was supposed be peanut-free. And according to prosecutors a teenage girl was treated in hospital for an allergic reaction caused by peanuts in a curry ordered from another restaurant that Zaman owned.

Zaman denies manslaughter despite Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, saying that he was warned by his supplier that the new powder contained peanuts and he should have, in turn, warned chefs they were using a product with peanuts in.

Wright said the restaurant boss "cut corners at every turn". He told the BBC: "Mohammed Zaman received numerous warnings that he was putting his customers' health, and potentially their lives, at risk.

"Tragically for Paul Wilson, Mohammed Zaman took none of those opportunities and ignored all of the warnings he was given. Time and again he ignored the danger and did not protect his customers."

Zaman has also pleaded not guilty to other charges including: perverting the course of justice by forging a food safety training certificate, an immigration offence relating to the employee who served the contaminated meal, and other food safety offences.