Corfu inquest: Cook rep declines to answer questions

Sharon Wood walked out of the hearing into the deaths of her children Bobby, aged six, and Christi Shepherd, aged seven, after hearing Thomas Cook holiday rep Nicola Jordison’s statement, in which she said that checking the internal gas heaters at the resort was not her main priority.

The children died at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel in October 2006 while on a half-term holiday, the deadly gas also left father Neil Shepherd and his wife Ruth in a coma.

An hour-long statement provided to the Greek courts by Jordison was read out by coroner David Hinchliff at the inquest in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

This statement was met with a round of applause from Wood, who shouted at Jordison: “Well done, you know a lot about gas”, before walking out of the court.

The holiday rep then declined, on advice from her lawyer, to answer virtually all the questions asked by the family’s representative Leslie Thomas QC, including: “My clients want to know if you want to apologise to them?”

Jordison’s statement read: “My role is limited only to customer service and at no point did it extend to health and safety matters.

“The care I exercised was that of the average careful human. The information I was given was that there was no gas on the premises.”

Jordison, 31, declined to answer when the coroner asked her to confirm that the document was her statement.

Referring to health and safety audits, Thomas asked: “You had five clear opportunities before this family’s children went to that resort to bring to Thomas Cook’s attention that there was gas there, that their forms were wrong and had you brought to Thomas Cook’s attention something could have been done. Do you accept that?”

Jordison replied: “I decline to answer.”

Thomas then asked: “My clients would like me to put it to you that this is an inquest into the deaths of two young children. This is an opportunity to assist. Would you like to take that opportunity?”

Jordison again declined to answer.

Thomas then read out excerpts of a manual given to Cook employees, pointing out guidelines on checking gas and heating. Jordison declined to answer whether she had read this manual.

Thomas said: “It says in bullet points you will take the upmost care to deliver the highest standard. You say you were unaware there were gas boilers. Do you think this is the upmost standard of care?”

“I decline to answer,” replied Jordison.

Thomas asked: “In the brochure it says to ‘check and be vigilant at all times. Carry out your health and safety checks’.

“You were there for a period of over six months and you would have seen numerous guests in that time, is that correct?”

“I decline to answer,” replied Jordison again.

Jordison’s husband, David Jordison, who was also working at the resort at the time, said in a statement read in court: “I was employed by Thomas Cook as a resort supervisor in Corfu.”

The statement added: “I deny emphatically that I have had any involvement in any criminal offence.

“I would like to say how genuinely sorry I feel and my thoughts and condolences are with [the Shepherd family] for the loss they have suffered.”

Mr Jordison declined to answer questions from the Shepherd family’s lawyer Leslie Thomas during the inquest but he did tell the court that he no longer works for Thomas Cook.

Thomas also posed questions for Cook’s health and safety manager Clare Kenny.

In a statement read on her behalf in court: “In my role as group manager for health and safety I do not have responsibility for obtaining health and safety for each hotel.

“On October 26, I was in the UK and I received a report saying two children had died.

“These are the first deaths of any Thomas Cook customers of carbon monoxide poisoning.”

Thomas asked: “Does a season run from April through to October?” Kenny replied: “Yes”.

Thomas added: “The hotel was open for two seasons, each six months. That’s a year’s monthly inspections - that would be 12 inspections.

“Just doing simple maths, before this incident there would have been something like 11 missed opportunities to identify this gas. Would you agree?”

Kenny declined to answer.

Thomas continued: “It must follow that Thomas Cook’s system failed.” Kenny again declined to answer.

Thomas said: “I know from the audit checks that Thomas Cook hadn’t identified there was gas there. Now is your chance to tell the jury how did Thomas Cook’s system fail so badly. What happened?”

Kenny declined to answer.

Thomas added: “You had responsibility for the people at the Corfu resort, is that right?”

Kenny said: “I decline to answer.”

The inquest continues.