A family whose first holiday abroad together in a resort in Lanzarote turned into "a nightmare" was yesterday awarded over €28,400 plus costs against the holiday package company Budget Travel Ltd.
The Circuit Court in Killarney heard "the landscaped gardens" at Los Orquideas apartments in Puerto del Carmen turned out to be "a hiding place for vagabonds and thieves", the apartment was located in an area of high crime without any security fencing and there was no one to call when things went wrong.
Judge James O'Donohoe said the Lynch family had "paid handsomely" for a holiday which had sadly become a tragic and horrific experience.
Anne-Marie and Thomas Lynch, of Dooneen, Caherciveen, Co Kerry, sued Budget Travel Ltd, 134 Lwr Baggot St, Dublin, for negligence and breach of the Package Holidays Travel and Trade Act 1995. They claimed the company failed to put suitable security arrangements in place and failed to provide the "relaxing and restful holiday" advertised in the Budget Summer Brochure of 2002. The family sued for loss of property as well as personal trauma and recovery of holiday cost.
Mrs Lynch, who works as an instructor in casualty first aid had booked the holiday at Torc Travel in Killarney in January 2002 for her husband (a postman) and three children. She paid €2,017.11 for one week beginning May 16th in the two-bedroom, self-catering apartment.
"It turned out to be the greatest nightmare of our lives," Mrs Lynch told Judge O'Donohoe.
When they arrived at the apartment, they found it "isolated". The reception area was "a poolside hut " where they collected the key.
The second night of their holiday, she awoke at 3am to see a man in her children's bedroom with a long screwdriver. There were in fact two males in the room and another standing by the door. Her screams frightened the men away. "There was absolutely nobody to call," she said.
The thieves had removed the contents of the Lynch's security box, including €1,600 in cash; jewellery worth over €12,000 including her wedding, engagement and eternity rings; her husband's watch and ring; and the children's Gameboy games and video. Their passports, wallets and Visa card were also taken.
Some 20 minutes later, a second robbery took place in front of them at a neighbouring apartment. That thief was restrained by guests and the police arrived carrying guns. They held a gun to the intruder's head. Mrs Lynch said she thought the man was going to be shot in front of her children.
The family asked to be moved from the complex. Instead they were moved to a neighbouring apartment "absolutely filthy" with cockroaches climbing the walls "climbing into the cereal boxes and everywhere", she told the court.
Ms Lynch's solicitor, Paul O'Donoghue, said the Lynchs did not want another family to have to go through the same ordeal.