Restaurant boss accused of cutting corners with cheaper ingredients which killed nut allergy customer ‘sent his son to £16k-a-year private school’
Mohammed Zaman had racked up huge debts of nearly £300k, court hears
THE curry house boss accused of killing a customer by switching to cheaper nut powder ran up huge debts sending his son to a £16k-a-year shool, a jury heard.
Mohammed Zaman is said to have used lower cost ground peanuts instead of almond powder in his dishes - causing the tragic death of peanut allergy sufferer Paul Wilson.
Mr Zaman changed to the cheaper ingredient as he racked up debts of £294,000 across his six restaurants, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The court heard he paid for the huge fees out of his business bank account.
When Mr Wilson ordered a chicken tikka masala takeaway from Zaman's restaurant The Indian Garden in Easingwold, North Yorks, he specifically asked for a curry without nuts.
But he died after eating the dish in January 2014 because ground peanuts were inside.
The court heard Mr Wilson's death came less than a month after nut allergy sufferer Ruby Scott, 17, ended up in hospital after eating a curry from one of Mr Zaman's restaurants.
Mr Zaman told the jury he had known about Ruby allergic reaction and had told the manager not to use that powder anymore.
The father-of-four also has claimed he bought only top quality produce - telling the court he would fork out £9.50 per kg for fresh lamb.
When prosecution lawyer Richard Wright QC presented him with a receipt for a £4.50 kg of lamb, the curry house boss said staff must have made the purchase.
Despite have run several restaurants across York and North Yorks over the last 35 years, Mr Zaman claimed he had no idea they were staffed by illegal workers at the time Mr Wilson died.
Mr Zaman was also not at the Indian Garden the might Mr Wilson died, the jury were told.
One person who worked at the restaunt has vanished and another has been deported, the court heard.
The curry house boss told how he owned six restaurants and would employ managers to run them for him.
He added that it was their reponsibility to order produce and hire staff.
He also claimed that he did not chose to switch nut powder providers, and that when he found out he demanded that the supplier take the delivery back.
Mr Wright said to Mr Zaman: "You choose to blame other people, Mr Zaman, rather than taking any responsibility yourself, and that is your approach to the case, isn't it?"
The restaurant owner, who is originally from Bangladesh but who migrated to York as a teen, replied: "Yes, that is the reality";.
He added that the manager he employed, his chef, his waiter, and his supplier were all to blame.
Mr Wright had earlier said: "Paul Wilson did what he always did and ordered no nuts in clear and simple terms.
"There was no confusion here. Instead there was a business in which corners were being cut for the sake of profits, systems were non-existent and the customer was constantly exposed to danger.
"There is no doubt at all that the curry he ate, the lid of which bore the legend 'no nuts,' contained peanuts and that the peanuts caused his death by way of an allergic reaction to eating them."
Mr Zaman denies manslaughter by gross negligence, perverting the course of justice, and six food safety offences.
His trial continues.