Thomas Cook wins damages following Corfu deaths
Thomas Cook has won £1 million compensation from Louis Hotels following the deaths of two children from carbon monoxide poisoning in a Corfu hotel almost seven years ago.
A High Court judge yesterday ordered Louis Hotels to make the interim payment to Thomas Cook after finding the hotel group, not Thomas Cook, was to blame for the children’s deaths.
Thomas Cook, which had originally asked for £5 million damages, welcomed the ruling and said it would continue to pursue its claim against Louis Hotels to recover costs incurred since the tragedy in 2006.
Christianne Shepherd, seven, and her six-year-old brother Robert, from Horbury, West Yorkshire died as they slept in their room in a bungalow at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel during a family holiday.
It was later found that a gas boiler in an outhouse next door, which was used to provide hot tap water had malfunctioned, allowing carbon monoxide to seep into their room.
At a procedural hearing at the High Court in London yesterday to decide whether Cook or Louis hotels were to blame for the deaths, the judge threw out the case after finding the evidence overwhelmingly in favour of Thomas Cook.
Three years ago, Thomas Cook fought to clear the names of two of its resort reps Richard Carson, 28, and Nicola Gibson, 26, who were found not guilty of causing manslaughter by negligence by a Greek court in 2010.
Hotel manager Georgios Chrysikopoulos, the head of the hotel technical department, Petros Stoyiannos, and the hotel electrician, Christos Louvros, were each sentenced to seven years in prison. Civil engineer Dimitrios Xidias was given two years on probation.
Louis Hotels has already agreed to pay substantial damages to the children’s family.
A Thomas Cook spokesperson said: "What happened in Corfu was a tragedy, and the thoughts and sympathy of everyone at Thomas Cook will always be with the family and friends of Christianne and Robert Shepherd.
" The Judge made it very clear that Thomas Cook was in no way responsible and that Louis Hotels were in breach of its obligation, therefore the company will continue to pursue its claim against Louis Hotels in a bid to recover costs incurred since the tragedy occurred in 2006."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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