"Reckless" restaurateur jailed for nut allergy customer's death

The owner of an Indian restaurant in Yorkshire has been jailed for six years for manslaughter after a customer with a nut allergy died from eating a takeaway curry.

Mohammed Zaman was found guilty at Teesside Crown Court of causing the death of bar manager Paul Wilson due to his "reckless and cavalier attitude to risk", in the words of the prosecution, through cutting corners by using cheaper ingredients containing peanuts despite the customer's specification of "no nuts" being written on his order and on the lid of his meal.

Mr Wilson died of a severe anaphylactic shock in January 2014, three weeks after another customer with a peanut allergy had required hospital treatment after eating a meal from one of Mr Zaman's six restaurants.

The case is thought to be the first successful prosecution following such a death.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Bourne-Arton said the accused had remained "in complete and utter denial" and ignored warnings from health officials after the earlier incident, but took into account his lack of previous record and the impact the sentence would have on his wife and four children.