The Legal Review of the Mason Jones Case by Mark Heywood QC

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Dear Crown Prosecution Service ["CPS"],

In 2005 a five-year-old boy, Mason Jones, tragically died as a consequence of an E-Coli outbreak. A butcher had provided Mason's school with contaminated meat. At the time the CPS took the view that there was 'insufficient evidence' to prosecute the butcher for gross negligence manslaughter. It was claimed by the Crown Prosecutor that it could not be established that the butcher was aware of the risk of death when he provided contaminated meat to the school.

However, the former Director of Public Prosecutions ["the Director"], Mr Keir Starmer, subsequently appointed Mr Mark Heywood QC to review the case. In 2015 Mr Heywood established after a fresh analysis of the evidence that the butcher was in fact aware of the risk of death. As a consequence Mr Heywood's conclusion was that there was 'sufficient evidence' to prosecute the butcher for gross negligence manslaughter.

Despite Mr Heywood's advice the butcher evaded prosecution, according to media reports, because it was "too late". Below is a link to a November 2015 article published by the Western Mail regarding Mason's case:

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales...

Could you please confirm if it was the current Director, Ms Alison Saunders, or Mr Mark Heywood QC, who made the decision that it was "too late" to prosecute the butcher?

Yours faithfully,

Will Powell

Information Management Unit, Crown Prosecution Service

Dear Mr Powell

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request – Reference number 7895

Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FOI) request which we received on 9 July 2018.

The FOI Act is a public disclosure regime, not a private regime. This means that any information disclosed under the FOI Act by definition becomes available to the wider public.

There is a 20 working day limit in which we are required to respond to requests.

The deadline for your request is 6 August 2018.

Yours sincerely

Ms D Stannard
Information Management Unit
020 3357 0899
[email address]

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Information Management Unit, Crown Prosecution Service

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Powell

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request – Reference 7895

Please see the attached response to your Freedom of Information request.

Yours sincerely

Ms D Stannard
Information Management Unit
020 3357 0899
[email address]

show quoted sections