'No-one to blame' for E coli outbreak that killed grandmother

Published on Thursday 27 August 2009 22:15

A SHERIFF has ruled no-one is to blame for the death of a grandmother who lost her life following a deadly E coli outbreak.

Margaret Rowan, 66, died and her husband Stephen, 74, was left in a critical condition in hospital during the scare.

Two Morrisons supermarkets in Paisley, Renfrewshire, were linked to the outbreak and it was believed contaminated cold meat was the source of the bug.

Mrs Rowan, of Paisley, was admitted to the town's Royal Alexandra Hospital in August 2007. Her condition worsened and her life support machine was turned off three days later.

As well as the Rowans, eight other people were struck down by stomach cramps, sickness, diarrhoea and fever during the outbreak.

An outbreak control team, which headed an investigation into the events, later concluded it was "most likely" that the bug was linked to the Morrisons store in Falside, Paisley.

A fatal accident inquiry was held this year at Paisley Sheriff Court to examine the circumstances of Mrs Rowan's death.

Lawyers representing the Rowan family, the Crown and Renfrewshire Council had called for the Falside store to be held responsible for the outbreak. But last night it emerged that Sheriff Bruce Kerr had decided the inquiry had failed to produce a conclusive verdict.

Mr Kerr stated: "I regard it as not established from the evidence available to this inquiry that Morrisons' store at Falside, and in particular the delicatessen there, was on a balance of probabilities the source of the E coli O157 infection which afflicted the citizens of Paisley in August 2007.

"The source of the outbreak therefore remains to my mind not convincingly explained.

"I do not see in the evidence a proper basis for criticism of the medical treatment afforded to the deceased by the doctors or other medical staff involved in her case.

"I therefore think it not appropriate to make findings or recommendations."

Last night the Rowan family were unavailable for comment.

But a source said: "The family are in shock over this. How can no-one be to blame for the death of a woman when it is clear what killed her?

"They have been through a terrible ordeal and had hoped the inquiry result would answer some of their questions on what happened.

"But now they have been left in limbo with no-one apparently able to tell them why their loved one died."

Following the outbreak, it emerged that health watchdogs had warned the two Morrisons stores about more than 20 food hygiene breaches. The problems at the branches, both in Paisley, were highlighted by environmental health officers.

A Morrisons spokeswoman said: "Our thoughts are with the Rowan family.

"We are pleased the inquiry is concluded and that it is not established that Morrisons was the source. The sheriff was satisfied that our food safety procedures were of a proper standard."