Judge due to deliver Tunisia conclusions

Families of British victims of Sousse attack to gather as hearing concludes

The families of British victims of the Tunisia terror attack are expected to gather today to hear the final chapter of the inquest into the deaths of their loved ones.

Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith is due to deliver his conclusions over the slaughter of 30 Britons killed when extremist Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire in Sousse on June 26 2015, shooting 38 people dead.

Among them were Billy and Lisa Graham from Bankfoot, near Perth, who were in the resort to celebrate Mrs Graham’s 50th birthday and their 31st wedding anniversary.

Mr Graham, 51, who served for 22 years in the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, and his wife tried to escape from the gunfire by leaving the hotel lobby through a doorway next to the reception area.

The hearing was told Mrs Graham was a very caring and thoughtful woman who loved to laugh.

Mr Graham, who volunteered for St Johnstone in his spare time, was described as happy-go-lucky and a big joker who loved to make people laugh.

The inquest into the deaths of his British victims at the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel began at the Royal Courts of Justice on January 16 and is expected to conclude today.

Andrew Ritchie QC, counsel to the families of the victims, said last week that Judge Loraine-Smith, who is sitting as coroner, should consider a “neglect” conclusion, arguing that there had been “gross neglect” on the part of the TUI travel company.

He told the inquest that the Tunisian government was taking the terror risk seriously, but TUI and the hotel operators did not.

He said that the hotel owners, hotel operators and the travel companies provided the guests with security, making them “dependent” upon them for their safety.

Mr Ritchie said the verdict the families want the coroner to reach is either the neglect verdict, or if that is not reached, then a “neutral” conclusion.

Samantha Leek QC, counsel to the inquest, did not agree with the suggestion for the coroner to return a “neglect” conclusion, and the coroner himself indicated that he would not accept the neglect submission.

In deciding whether to give a neglect verdict, Judge Loraine-Smith will consider whether the victims were in a position of dependency, if there was gross neglect, and if that gross neglect contributed to the deaths.

Howard Stevens QC, counsel for TUI, dismissed Mr Ritchie’s call for the coroner to consider a neglect conclusion, saying that “matters could have been worse” during the terror attack.

He said the coroner could not “simply dismiss the security presence”, and that if there were additional CCTV cameras or static guards at the beach gate it “cannot be said that any of these measures would probably have made a difference”.

Mr Stevens said that Mr Ritchie’s suggestion that the beach gate should have been shut or locked to stop the attacker entering the hotel did not amount to a “gross failure”.

He said the travel company operated on Foreign Office (FCO) advice and would not send tourists there if the Government advised “against all or all but essential travel”.

Andrew O’Connor, counsel to the FCO, urged the coroner to make a “short, neutral and non-judgmental” conclusion.

Picture: PA. Billy and Lisa Graham, from Bankfoot, were among the victims.