Two men have been jailed for their roles in preparing to sell meat deemed unfit for consumption and meant as pet food to shoppers.
Inner London Crown Court heard Anthony Fear, 63, ran a company in Bridgwater, Somerset which supplied meat to Azar Irshad, 40, who ran a cutting room to prepare the meat in Walworth, south London.
On Tuesday, Fear received a sentence of 42 months, while Irshad got 35 months. Two other men received suspended jail terms.
The court heard officials from Southwark Council found 1.9 tonnes of animal by-products, which included whole and cut chickens, lamb’s testicles and beef burgers, being processed for sale in 2020.
Trading Standards were alerted to the site on Walworth Road, Walworth, by locals who had complained of the stench of rotting meat coming from a shop.
Officers then investigated a linked premises in nearby East Street where they found an illegal cutting shop. Workers were found cutting, skinning, washing and portioning tainted raw poultry for it to be distributed and sold.
The premises were run by Irshad, Ali Afzal and a third person called Arshad Akhtar, who has since died.
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Inquiries by the Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) traced the meat back to legitimate food businesses who confirmed it had been sent to Fears Animal Products Limited in Somerset for manufacture into pet food or for safe disposal.
‘Disgustingly filthy’
The court heard Irshad, a halal butcher, made 16 trips to Fear’s business to bring the meat to what the judge called “a disgustingly filthy” cutting room in south London.
Fear was convicted of conspiring to defraud by placing food not fit for human consumption on the market after a 12-week trial. Irshad pleaded guilty to the same offence.
‘Greedy man’ and ‘risk taker’
Judge Noel Lucas KC described Fear as “a greedy man” and “risk taker, anxious to make a quick profit wherever he can and irrespective of any potential consequences to others”.
Judge Lucas sentenced him at Inner London Crown Court to 42 months’ imprisonment. He was also disqualified from being a director of a business for six years.
The judge said Irshad was trusted to provide halal meat to his customers and “abused this trust”. Irshad, who previously pleaded guilty to the charges, was sentenced to 35 months’ imprisonment.
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Irshad was also ordered not to sell any food products and not to be involved in any way with any food business, until further order.
Two other men who pleaded guilty to their role in the conspiracy were also sentenced on Tuesday.
Mark Hooper, 64, a manager for Fear’s business, was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years for conspiracy to defraud. Afzal received six months, suspended for 21 months, for breaches of food safety regulations.
The judge adjourned the victims’ costs orders for Fear, Irshad and Hooper to a later date.
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‘Motivated by greed’
Andrew Quinn, head of the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), said: “The sentences handed down today show that there is no place for such criminal activity in our food system.
“The case demonstrates the serious risk posed to consumer safety when individuals deliberately disregard food safety regulations by putting meat unfit for human consumption back into the food chain.”
Southwark borough councillor Natasha Ennin said: “These individuals operated with complete disregard for public health, motivated solely by greed. Consumers have a right to trust the safety of their food.”
