A British couple is facing jail time over accusations they lied about being sick on holiday.
Deborah Briton, 53, and her partner Paul Roberts, 43, demanded compensation from Thomas Cook, after they and their two children were allegedly struck with food poisoning on an all-inclusive holiday in Majorca, Spain.
Briton has another daughter, 30-year-old Charlene, who is also accused of submitting a false claim on behalf of herself and her own daughter.Together the claims amounted to ₤52,000 (about R800,000).
The three of them now face six counts of fraud. A pre-trial hearing has been set for early next month.
The issue of "fake holiday sickness" has been on the rise in the UK of late — supposedly in part thanks to legal attempts to crack down on fake personal-injury claims.
The government has put a cap on the legal fees that "ambulance chasing" lawyers can charge their clients when seeking compensation on their behalf. As the new rules don't apply to incidents that happen outside of the UK, travel-sickness reports have seen a sharp rise.
This is the first time the supposed swindlers will appear in a criminal court.
Earlier this month, a judge ordered another British couple, Julie Lavelle, 33, and Michael McIntyre, to pay ₤3,744 in damages to Thomas Cook after they had tried to claim a payout worth up to ₤10,000 for food poisoning on an all-inclusive stay in the Canary Islands.
But the judge found it odd that they had given the hotel good reviews on an exit card, and that they waited three years after the 2013 holiday to file the claim.
Tour operators in the Spanish island recently reported a 700% rise in cases of false complaints about stomach problems.
The average payout is about ₤2,000, but often the only proof required is a receipt from a pharmacist.
The Britons and Roberts pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud.
If found guilty they could face between 18 months and six years in jail...