John Mullan Barr

Scottish owner of a butcher shop in Wishaw, popular and successful in that it supplied meats to Scotmid (Co-op). When the world's worst outbreak of E-coli 0157 poisoning broke out in Wishaw in 1996 with 21 people dead and 400 ill, at least 100 seriously enough to be hospitalized, suspicion fell on Barr's shop. After a 37-day investigation, it was found that Barr's was found to have failed to insure adequate inspection and safety measures for hygienic meat safety. It was also found to have failed to cooperate fully with environmental health officers who had visited the shop on 11/22/1996 to warn him of the possible link between his meat and the death of six pensioners on 11/17. They had eaten lunch in Wishaw's Old Parish Church Hall before falling fatally ill. On 11/26, Harry Shaw, the first of the men died. John Barr closed his shop the following day as an investigation began. By 12/01, Monklands hospital was forced to open another ward to copy with the influx of patients being admitted. On 1/15/1997, the Government released the details of the investigation report. Barr re-opened his shop on 2/27 and it was not until 10/20 that he went on trial, denying culpable and reckless conduct in connection with the supply of cooked meats in his shop. A week later, the trial collapsed due to a lack of evidence and Barr was released. However, he and his wife Elaine and son Martin went on trial on a charge of breaching food hygiene regulations on 1/19/1998. It quickly concluded with a fine the following day of 2,250 pounds.