TUNISIA FAMILIES TO SUE TRAVEL FIRM
30 Britons were killed unlawfully
FAMILIES whose loved ones were slaughtered in the Tunisia beach terror attack are to sue for £10million.
The move against TUI, the world’s largest tour operator, was revealed as a seven-week inquest ended in verdicts that the 30 British victims were unlawfully killed.
Two Scottish couples were among those massacred at a fivestar hotel in Sousse by Isis gunman Seifeddine Rezgui in June 2015.
The victims’ families wept in court in London as the verdicts were returned yesterday.
They then accused TUI – the owners of Thomson and First Choice – of not accepting responsibility and labelled the Imperial Marhaba hotel, in Sousse, an “easy target”.
A legal source said: “There has already been communication between the two parties but everyone agreed to wait to take things forward until after the conclusion of the inquest.
“Now that’s happened, one hopes it will be dealt with amicably and people will come around the table to agree a deal.
“If not, everyone will be back in court in front of a judge who will decide on it.”
Jim and Ann McQuire, who had been married for 43 years, had been in Sousse on a trip to celebrate their retirement.
They were killed two days before they were due to return home to Cumbernauld.
James was a former marine engineer who worked in the shipyards and volunteered with his local Boys’ Brigade troop.
His wife was a receptionist at the Craigmarloch Medical Centre.
They were shot as they tried to flee the gunman. Ann died instantly while James lay wounded next to her body.
The couple’s son Stuart said the church-going couple had been robbed of a future retirement after
One hopes it will be dealt with amicably. If not, it will be back in court LEGAL SOURCE
years of hard work by the “senseless attack”.
Billy and Lisa Graham, from Bankfoot near Perth, had gone to Tunisia to celebrate their 31st wedding anniversary and Lisa’s 50th birthday.
She was affectionately known as “sun goddess” to her friends, while former soldier Billy, who volunteered for St Johnstone FC in his spare time, was described as a happy-go-lucky joker.
At their funeral daughter Holly, 29, sobbed as she told mourners: “My parents truly were the best parents in the world.”
During the inquest, TUI were accused of cutting prices to Tunisia following a previous terror attack on tourists, and of downplaying the threat posed by jihadis in order to sell their holidays.
Survivors said they were told the Bardo museum attack in Tunis in March 2015, in which 22 tourists died, was a “one-off ” and Tunisia was “100 per cent safe” when they booked their holidays, accusations TUI denies.
Suzanne Richards lost her dad Patrick Evans, 78, brother Adrian Evans, 44, and son Joel, 19.
Joel’s brother Owen,16, at the time, tried to shield his grandad and was shot himself but survived.
Susanne said yesterday: “I am
convinced that an attack of this nature was entirely predictable and that there was a responsibility placed upon the Tunisian authorities and TUI to put structures and procedures in place to secure the safety of their customers.
“My family placed their trust in the fact that TUI, with all their knowledge and expertise, would not allow them to travel to a hotel or destination where their safety was not the first priority.
“Yet, despite the Bardo museum attack only months earlier, they received no advice/warning. I am concerned that customer safety did not seem to be a priority.
Outside court yesterday, Kylie Hutchi son, of law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “On behalf of our clients who lost members of their family and those who suffered injuries, we will now be preparing to commence civil proceedings against TUI. Judge Loraine-Smith blasted the Tunisian police response as “at best shambolic and at worst, cowardly”. But he said it was difficult to pinpoint security measures at the hotel that would have made a difference. Nick Longman, managing director of TUI UK, said: “On behalf of everyone at TUI UK, I would like to again extend our deepest sympathy. “We are so very sorry for the pain and loss those affected have suffered.”