Tunisia terror inquests apologises to families over distressing evidence
Relatives were not warned ahead of the reading of a witness account of seeing bodies and possessions covered in blood.
Thursday 19 January 2017 13:57, UK
The relatives of Britons killed in a terror attack in Tunisia have been given an apology for having to sit through "distressing" evidence at the inquest without any warning.
The hearing into the deaths of the 30 British holidaymakers in Sousse in June 2015 began on Wednesday with an apology about a witness statement read the previous day.
Camilla Bekkevold, resort team manager of travel company TUI UK, included a first-hand account of the day of the attack in her statement in which she mentioned seeing bodies and referred to possessions such as a sun hat covered in blood.
Samantha Leek QC, counsel to the inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, said: "Some of the families in court yesterday were understandably upset during the course of the reading of Camilla Bekkevold's statement.
"I apologise that we had not warned that that potentially distressing material was coming."
The statement said: "I could see a man lying down, apparently being treated by medical people.
"I got closer and saw that he had a severe head injury and they were not treating him, but getting his body ready to take him away.
"I then saw other bodies. There was a lot of commotion."
An extract near the end said: "Some of the possessions - and I remember a sun hat in particular - were covered in blood and I remember we were trying to decide whether things like that should be returned or disposed of."
Extremist Seifeddine Rezgui massacred 38 tourists - including three Irish citizens - on 26 June at the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel.
The inquest continues.