Community service for poisoner

Monday 28 July 2014

The operator of the company responsible for the one of the Island’s worst food poisoning incidents in recent years by using raw duck eggs in mayonnaise has been sentenced to community service by the Royal Court.

Christine Glyn Joshua (58), who was trading as Le Marinel Products, was sentenced to 120 hours of community service after the Royal Court heard details of her “parlous” financial situation.

Mrs Joshua had pleaded guilty to two charges of contravening food safety regulations following a salmonella outbreak last summer after guests at two events for which she had prepared food fell ill.

In total, 55 people were reported to have suffered food poisoning and two of them, a pregnant woman and a child with known kidney problems, were hospitalized.

It was later established that the company, which operated out of Le Marinel Farm in St John, had used raw duck eggs in the preparation of mayonnaise, which rendered it unfit for human consumption and “injurious to health”.

The court heard that the company had ceased trading immediately after the outbreak and that Mrs Joshua now worked as a nurse.

Crown Advocate David Hopwood had originally proposed a total fine of £15,000 for the two offences and had sought a contribution of £2,500 towards the prosecution costs, but in light of Mrs Joshua’s financial situation, this had been reduced to a fine of £2,000 and “a nominal charge” of £250 to help meet costs.

Defence Advocate Lee Ingram said Mrs Joshua offered her sincere apologies to all those affected by the salmonella outbreak and that she had been “deeply upset” by what had transpired.

Sentencing had been adjourned from 27^th June, pending an assessment of Mrs Joshua’s suitability for community service, and the court decide to impose a sentence of 120 hours’ community service and ordered her to pay costs of £250, with six months to pay.

However, in reaching its decision, the Deputy Bailiff William Bailhache sent a warning to other food businesses that this was an individualized case and the normal penalty for infringing food safety regulations was a prison sentence of up to two years.

“We give notice to those conducting this sort of business that there are serious penalties involving in breaking the law,” he said.