Mother blames tour operator forholiday deaths of her two children

Rob Preece

THE mother of two children from Yorkshire who died after a carbon monoxide leak while on holiday in Corfu told a court that she blames tour operator Thomas Cook for their deaths.

Sharon Wood said it had been the company’s “responsibility” to ensure that her children, Christianne and Robert Shepherd, from Wakefield, were safe.

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Christianne, seven, and Robert, six, died after being overcome by fumes from a faulty boiler in a bungalow at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel in October 2006.

Their father, Neil Shepherd, and his partner, Ruth Beatson, both fell into a coma, but survived the poisoning.

Richard Carson and Nicola Gibson, who worked for Thomas Cook at the time, are on trial at Corfu Town courthouse, charged with causing manslaughter by negligence and causing bodily injury by negligence.

Nine Greeks, including hotel staff, are also due to be tried.

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Mrs Wood, who was not on the holiday, told the court: “I believe that it was Thomas Cook’s job to check the gas appliances on a regular basis in accordance with legislation.

“I believe it’s their responsibility to ensure that things are safe. We had a contract with Thomas Cook and they had a duty of care. They should have protected my children.”

Retired mechanical engineer Harry Rogers, who investigated the bungalow, told the trial that the faulty boiler was the worst installation he had seen in 50 years.

He added: “I don’t know how the tour operator operates, but if any reasonable person that had any reasonable knowledge...could inspect that boiler, they did not need to be a rocket scientist to know something was wrong.”

The trial was adjourned until March 11.

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