Moment peanut allergy customer collected curry that killed him – and the receipt which included his request for ‘no nuts’
Restaurant owner Mohammed Zaman was today jailed for six years over the death of nut allergy sufferer Paul Wilson
A ‘RECKLESS’ Indian takeaway owner has today been found guilty of killing a customer with a severe nut allergy after he ate a curry containing peanuts.
Paul Wilson, 38, suffered severe anaphylactic shock after eating the takeaway – despite telling staff at the restaurant about his condition.
Today 'cavalier' Mohammed Zaman was jailed for six years after being convicted of gross negligence manslaughter.
A jury heard he swapped almond powder in recipes for cheaper groundnut mix containing peanuts.
The moment tragic Mr Wilson collected the curry that killed him was today shown in CCTV images from the restaurant.
A picture of the bar manager's receipt showed he had asked for the meal to be nut free.
The prosecution said businessman Zaman, who owned six restaurants in York and North Yorkshire, cut costs by using the cheaper ingredient and by employing untrained, illegal workers.
Mr Wilson was found slumped dead in the toilet at his home in Helperby in January 2014 after ordering the food from the Indian Garden, Easingwold, North Yorkshire.
The death of Mr Wilson came just three weeks after a teenage customer at another of Zaman's restaurants suffered an allergic reaction after being assured her meal would not contain nuts.
Zaman, from Huntington, York, was said to have “put profit before safety" at the restaurants he owned – and the prosecution said he had a “reckless and cavalier attitude to risk”.
He had denied manslaughter by gross negligence, perverting the course of justice and six food safety offences but was today found guilty of all charges except perverting course of justice.
Zaman – who was not on the premises when the curry was sold - claimed he left managers to run his restaurants and that included ordering stock and hiring staff.
The court heard Mr Wilson had told staff that his meal must be nut-free and that the restaurant had written "no nuts" on his order and on the lid of his curry.
Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, said: "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.
"His was a reckless and cavalier attitude to risk and one that we, the prosecution, would describe as grossly negligent."
Mr Wright added: "Time and again he ignored the danger and did not protect his customers.
"The evidence will establish that Mohammed Zaman put profit before safety and that he cut corners at every turn."
Police and trading standards launched an investigation following Mr Wilson's death.
Groundnut powder was found in the kitchen of the Indian Garden.
Mr Wilson's parents Keith and Margaret said their son had carefully managed his condition since he was seven and was always clear when ordering that his food must not contain nuts.
They said even a mouthful would have been enough for him to know something was seriously wrong and added: "Don't let this happen again."
Outside court, Detective Inspector Shaun Page said Mr Wilson's death was "totally avoidable".
He said: "Mr Zaman was in debt to the tune of around £300,000 and to try to reduce costs he cut corners that we believe led to Paul's death.
"He employed illegal immigrants, he didn't train his employees correctly in the service of safe food and he swapped an ingredient for a cheaper ingredient that contained peanuts that ultimately killed Paul."
Zaman - who did not visibly react when the guilty verdicts were returned - will be sentenced this afternoon.