Father speaks of broken boiler which killed children

Article date : 05/02/2010

Two young children on holiday in Corfu in 2006 were killed after their accommodation filled with deadly carbon monoxide which had leaked from a broken boiler, a court has heard.

Neil Shepherd cried as he told the court of the deaths of his children, seven-year-old Christianne and six-year-old Robert, while they had been staying in a holiday bungalow with their dad and his partner Ruth Beatson.

Both Mr Shepard and Ms Beatson fell into a coma after succumbing to the effects of the colourless, odourless and tasteless gas which killed the two children.

Thomas Cook employees, Nicola Gibson and Richard Carson are both on trial charged with manslaughter and bodily harm by negligence, which they deny.

Mr Shepard told how he had tried to help his two children who were crying and vomiting but passed out himself as a result of the gas and later woke in hospital to learn his children were dead.

"You just presume that you're safe, you presume that the tour operator has just done the checks so that you can just go away and enjoy your holiday and not have your children die," he said.

Such news may highlight the importance of having at least one boiler service a year, which should be carried out by a member of the Gas Safe Register.

Written by Jasper Cullen

ADNFCR-1600-ID-19600571-ADNFCR