Boy, 11, suffers ‘permanent’ life-changing illness after eating at kebab shop that left 50 customers violently sick

A YOUNG boy has been left with diabetes after eating at a kebab shop that left dozens violently sick, a court has heard.

He was one of 11 people to be hospitalised with food poisoning after eating at Marmaris Kebab House in Abergavenny, Wales.

The 11-year-old went on to develop type 1 diabetes, a life-long disease where the pancreas doesn’t make insulin.

Without insulin, blood sugar can’t enter cells and builds up in the blood, which can cause lasting damage and serious complications

More than 50 people fell ill after eating food from the shop, which was believed to be contaminated with shigella bacteria, Newport Magistrates’ Court was told.

Among them was 76-year-old John Inglesby, who remained seriously ill 16 months after eating a contaminated kebab.

The intestinal infection is highly contagious and is spread when a person swallows a small amount of it from the stool of someone who is infected.

Someone may contract shigella if they eat food prepared by someone who has it and doesn’t wash their hands, for example.

The outbreak happened in February 2023 when customers ate contaminated food from the takeaway.

While the exact source couldn’t be confirmed, investigators linked it to the mixing of washed and unwashed vegetables during coleslaw preparation.

Owners Sami Abdullah and Hassan Saritag have been ordered to pay more than £10,000 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to food hygiene offences.

District Judge Sophie Toms told them their actions had “a serious impact on the health and wellbeing of your customers”, the BBC reported.

“We all know takeaway businesses and their success is built on the trust of that business to keep people safe,” she added.

“You both failed to do that, breaking the trust of people in Abergavenny and causing significant harm.”

John visited the kebab shop on February 10, 2023, after he returned to work following the death of his wife.

He was prescribed a dose of antibiotics to help his recovery, but a year later he says he’s still suffering from ongoing gastric complications.

Jatinder Paul, a specialist public health lawyer who represented some of those affected said the effects of food poisoning should never be downplayed.

In a statement, Mr Paul said: “Gastric illness through contaminated food is serious and can lead to long-term health complications, such as those experienced by our client John Inglesby.

“While nothing can change what happened, we hope that today’s hearing will ensure that all appropriate measures are taken to prevent something similar from occurring in the future.”

Abdullah, from Cwmbran, Torfaen, had a long history working in restaurants with no previous hygiene issues, his defence lawyer told the court.

“Mr Abdullah offers his deepest apologies to those affected and in particular those who suffered permanently,” Scott Tuppen said.

There’s no evidence that food poisoning directly triggers type 1 diabetes, according to Diabetes UK.

However, some studies suggest a link between early childhood gastrointestinal infections and the development of the condition.

Saritag also had a previously unblemished record in the food sector, his defence lawyer added.

David Leathley called it an “isolated breach” involving a rare form of E. coli, and said that “nobody saw this coming”.

Abdullah was ordered to pay a £2,000 fine, while Saritag was fined £3,065.

And both were also ordered to pay an additional £2,792 in costs.