AN MP who applauded the food safety efforts of a millionaire restaurateur - accused of killing a nut allergy sufferer by scrimping on ingredients - would have seen his nut allergy sufferer son rushed to hospital or die if he had taken him for a meal at the restaurant, a jury has heard.

The trial of Mohammed Zaman, who denies the manslaughter of Paul Wilson, of Helperby, near Thirsk, by providing him with a curry containing peanuts, heard Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake highly regarded Zaman and his staff for meeting the needs of his son Charlie, who has a nut allergy.

The jury heard a statement by Mr Hollinrake, who said he had taken his son to one of Zaman’s restaurants in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, dozens of times.

The Conservative MP said: “Mr Zaman and his staff have always met Charlie’s needs… staff were always extremely helpful. Chefs went out of their way to provide food to suit Charlie’s diet.”

In his closing speech, Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, said Zaman had presented a “fatuous and offensive” argument in his defence by suggesting the death of a customer should be overlooked because he had served thousands of meals without harming customers.

Mr Wright said: “Had Mr Hollinrake MP taken his son to the Indian Garden on January 30, 2014, he would have been rushing his child to hospital or watching him die from anaphylactic shock.”

He said while Zaman, who also denies perverting the course of justice and six food safety offences, had personal assets of up to £3m, he chose to cut corners in his business - including swapping peanut powder for more expensive almonds and employing untrained, illegal workers - to avoid interfering with his lifestyle.

Mr Wright said it was clear Zaman had lied many times, citing how the restaurateur had insisted to the jury he always bought fresh lamb, before claiming invoices for cheaper frozen lamb related to stockpiling meat in case of a shortage.

Earlier, Zaman had erupted with fury and cried during his third day in the witness box at Teesside Crown Court, as he recalled how his children had watched police arrest him at his home.

Judge Simon Bourne Arton QC ordered the 53-year-old, of Huntington, York to "calm down" as Zaman said had been appalled as detectives conducted a thorough search of the property in April 2014.

The father-of-four said: "It was a very bad experience. When I left my children was crying. They even searched my daughter's bedroom."

The trial continues.