Widower still ill '16 months after eating dodgy kebab at takeaway'

A widower says he is still battling a severe gastric infection more than a year after consuming a kebab from a takeaway that caused food poisoning in over 50 customers. John Inglesby, 76, says he experienced intense diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain and sweats after eating the chicken shish with salad last year.

His lawyers say a stool test confirmed that he was among the numerous customers who had contracted the shigella bacteria from Marmaris Kebab House in Abergavenny, Wales. This intestinal infection is highly contagious and can be transmitted when a person ingests a small amount of infected stool.

The infection can be contracted if someone consumes food prepared by an infected person who has not washed their hands properly. The outbreak occurred in February 2023 when customers consumed contaminated food from the takeaway, resulting in 11 people being hospitalised.

Owners at the time Sami Abdullah and Hassan Saritag admitted to selling unsafe food, failing to implement food safety procedures, and neglecting to register new owners at the business last month. John says he visited the kebab shop on February 10, 2023, shortly after returning to work following his wife's death.

He was given antibiotics to aid his recovery, but more than a year later, he claims he is still dealing with persistent gastric issues. John, who has now initiated legal proceedings, 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."

Sarita Sharma, the specialist public health lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing John, said the effects of the illness should not be downplayed. She said: "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."

The business is now under new ownership. A further hearing for sentencing will be held on September 6 2024.