A pub chain faces a hefty fine after been found guilty of serving unsafe food to a mum who died after eating contaminated turkey in a pub Christmas dinner.
Mitchells and Butlers, the company that owns the Railway Hotel, Hornchurch, have been found guilty of placing unsafe food on the market following an incident of food poisoning in December 2012.
Della Callagher, 46, died from clostridium perfringens bacteria because meat was not was not cooked or reheated properly while 33 other diners became violently ill.
Della was among early Christmas revellers who fell ill following a Christmas Day lunch.
As her symptoms worsened she was taken to Queen's Hospital in Romford on Boxing Day, but she was sent home to recuperate.
However, the health of the mother to a teenage girl, continued to decline and later that day she was taken back to hospital where she died on December 27.
Verdicts for former head chef, Mehmet Kaya, of Purfleet, Essex, and former manager Ann-Marie McSweeney, of Hornchurch, who both deny placing unsafe food on the market are yet to be decided.
The pub company will be sentenced next month.
