Owners Plead Guilty To Food Safety Charges After Link Found To More Than 50 Illness Cases

A carer diagnosed with a serious gastric infection after eating from a kebab shop in Wales has called on lawyers to investigate.

John Inglesby, from Abergavenny, Gwent, returned to work as a carer in February 2023 following the death of his wife.  He visited the Marmaris Kebab House in Abergavenny, where he had a chicken sheesh kebab with coleslaw and salad.

Within days, John was suffering from severe diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain and sweats.  He had a stool sample taken and he was advised by Public Health Wales that the shigella bacteria – an intestinal infection - was the likely cause of his symptoms.  As a result, he was given antibiotics.

Lawyers investigating after more than 50 people fall ill

More than a year on, John, aged 76, still struggles with ongoing gastric complications and he has now instructed specialist public health lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate his illness.  The firm has vast experience of supporting victims of illness outbreaks in the UK and abroad including the recent outbreaks of cryptosporidium in Brixham, Devon, and Gannow Farm in Worcestershire.

It comes after more than 50 people fell ill and 11 were hospitalised after consuming food from the Marmaris Kebab House. The illness was identified as shigella infection.

Public Health Wales and local authority find link between shop and illness cases

Last month, the owners of the shop pleaded guilty to charges under food safety laws after Monmouthshire County Council and Public Health Wales found a link between the shop and illness cases. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September.

Sarita Sharma is the specialist public health lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing John. The firm has vast experience of supporting victims of illness outbreaks in the UK and abroad including the recent outbreaks of cryptosporidium in Brixham, Devon, and Gannow Farm in Worcestershire.

Expert Opinion

“The first-hand account we’ve heard from John regarding his symptoms is deeply concerning, and to hear that more than 50 people were unwell after eating at the kebab house is shocking.

“Shigella is a highly contagious infection leading to gastrointestinal illness, the effects of which should never be downplayed as it can, in some cases such as John’s, lead to long-term health issues.

“John’s story is likely to be typical of others reported to Public Health Wales and, following the guilty pleas, it’s vital that lessons are learned going forward to keep customers safe.

“As part of our investigations, which we have now commenced, we would be interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced illness following consumption of food items purchased from the Marmaris Kebab House.” Sarita Sharma

Food poisoning: John's story

John’s wife died in January 2023, and John returned to work the following month.

He went to the kebab shop on 10 February, 2023, and fell ill three days later.  His acute symptoms continued for around a week-and-a-half, but he is continuing to battle complications to this day.

He said: “When I went back to work, I was still struggling with grief and decided to visit my regular kebab shop.

“I’m not one to get stomach aches, so when I started to feel unwell, I knew something wasn’t right.  It worsened very quickly and before long I was in and out of the bathroom every 10 minutes.

“It got so bad that I had to see the doctor, and at that point I was told I had an infection.  I didn’t really piece it all together, however, until I heard that other people had been ill after going to the kebab shop.

“To this day, I’m still not right. It’s truly awful how many people have been affected and something needs to be done to stop it happening again.”

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling public health cases