Father’s tears for Corfu poisoning children

THE father of two children who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while on a family holiday in Corfu has broken down in tears while describing his “perfect son” and “sensitive, feisty and loving” daughter.

Neil Shepherd was giving evidence at the inquest into Christi and Bobby Shepherd’s deaths in a hotel bungalow on the Greek island in 2006.

Mr Shepherd fought to c ont a i n his emotion as Wakefield Coroner David Hinchliff spoke about his children.

Mr Hinchliff told the inquest jury that Christi and Bobby – aged seven and six at the time – went on holiday to the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel with their father and stepmother Ruth in the October half-term holiday.

The inquest heard that the family, from Horbury, West Yorkshire, arrived at the hotel on October 23 and were told their bungalow was not ready.

Mr Shepherd, 46, said he now knew this was because the previous occupants were in hospital suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

On October 25, both the chil- dren began to complain of feeling ill, the inquest heard.

Mrs Shepherd, 35, a teaching assistant, told the inquest that she began to feel sick as soon as she got into bed that evening.

About 10 minutes later,tells of children’s death the couple heard Christi crying and being sick. Mrs Shepherd said she could hear Bobby whimpering and they both went to comfort the children.

Mr Hinchliff said to Mr Shepherd: “The last thing you remember was comforting Christi. You must have lost consciousness because you don’t remember anything after that.”

The coroner said to Mrs Shepherd as she gave her evidence: “You went to Bobby and lay next to him on the bed. You were stroking his hair to try to comfort him. You think at that stage you lost consciousness.”

The couple both woke up in hospital days later.

The inquest heard on Monday that a chambermaid found Christi dead on the floor and Bobby dead in the bed when she let herself in the next morning. The two adults were close by, both in comatose states.