The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Grieving family to sue tour firm over terrorist attack
Coroner rules that holidaymakers were unlawfully killed
The family of a Perthshire couple murdered when a terrorist struck at a Tunisian holiday resort are preparing to sue tour operator TUI.
Billy and Lisa Graham, from Bankfoot near Perth, were in Sousse to celebrate their wedding anniversary when they were shot dead.
They were among 30 Britons killed in an attack on tourists at the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in June, 2015.
At the end of a harrowing seven-week inquest, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith delivered his verdict on the mass shooting.
The coroner ruled the victims were “unlawfully killed”, although he rejected an argument by the relatives of some victims that neglect by the tour operator played a part in the tragedy.
Judge Loraine-Smith ruled the Tunisian police response was “at best shambolic and at worst cowardly”.
The family of Mr and Mrs Graham and the relatives of 21 other victims are being represented by solicitors leading civil proceedings against Thomson owner, TUI.
All of the 30 victims had booked their holiday with the operator.
Kylie Hutchinson, a solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, said: “The level of terrorist threat in Tunisia has been escalating for some time, prior to June 2015. This included a failed suicide bomb attempt at a beach in Sousse.”
She said that, following a terrorist attack at the country’s Baro Museum in March 2015, Tunisia’s tourism minister wrote to hotels, demanding they improve security measures.
“Tragically, these steps were not implemented at the Imperial Marhaba Hotel,” she said.
TUI has stated it was unaware of the minister’s letter, Ms Hutchinson said. “It is now crucial that the whole travel industry learns from what happened in Sousse, to reduce the risk of similar catastrophic incidents in the future,” she added. “On behalf of our clients who lost members of their families and those who suffered injuries, we will now be preparing to commence civil proceedings against TUI.”
The inquest heard that Mr and Mrs Graham had been celebrating their 31st anniversary – and Mrs Graham’s 50th birthday – when terrorists attacked the beach.
Mr Graham, 51, who served for 22 years in the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, and his wife tried to escape from gunfire by leaving through a doorway next to the reception area.
The inquest head that Mrs Graham was a very caring and thoughtful woman who loved to laugh.
Mr Graham, who volunteered for St Johnstone FC in his spare time, was described as happy-go-lucky.
The pair were among 20 to 25 people who tried to escape through the hotel corridor.
Around 500 people attended memorial service in July 2015.
Local councillor John Kellas said: “The whole community has been very supportive of the family.
“We want to cherish their memory and we now have a park named after them with a bench which marks the couple’s contribution to the village.”
TUI has insisted that it was “wholly erroneous” to claim the company had been neglectful and there was insufficient evidence of any gross failure.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “The Sousse attack was the largest loss of British life to terrorism since 7/7, and devastated the lives of so many.
“Our deepest sympathy remains with all those people caught up in this horrific attack and we hope that the Inquest process has been of some help to the families.” a