When Karl and Laura Hughes took their three children and parents on a holiday to Lanzarote five years ago, they hadn’t planned on getting poorly from food poisoning.

As it turns out though, an upset stomach would prove to be the least of their concerns…

After the couple tried to gain compensation from Jet2 for the sickness on their holiday, claiming they had only eaten at the hotel, Jet2 not only refuted their claim, but tried to make an example of them in the process.

At least, that’s how Mr and Mrs Hughes see things.

When you consider the mental toll we’ve all had to contend with these last dew years, due to the pandemic, a looming legal battle understandably made things much worse for Mr and Mrs Hughes.

They say that Jet2’s pursuit of them, trying to disprove their claim based on a few photographs posted on Facebook, has caused them undue distress and a whole lot of heart ache.

Here’s why…

Jet2’s lawyers argued that the couple had been in contempt of court, by falsely claiming they had been victims of food poisoning, when photographs proved they had been having the time of their lives. They were also keen to point out that this type of offence could (and had previously) led to jail time.

As parents of three children, it’s easy to see why the couple became distressed at this. It’s also true that they just didn’t have the funds to keep going back to their solicitor for advice.

Jet2 claimed that they were simply sticking up for the industry, after a 500% rise in sickness claims in the years between 2015 and 2018.

Ultimately, Mr and Mrs Hughes gathered themselves well enough to make their own defence, with the Judge eventually ruling that the initial claims of being ‘acutely unwell’ for nine days had been an exaggeration rather than an outright lie.

A victory for the little guy then?

Not exactly, as the couple still owe more than £25,000 in legal fees…

Much worse than the financial burden though, is the impact on the couples’ mental health. With the very real threat of jail, and the constant pressure from Jet2’s lawyers, Mr Hughes says that he has been suicidal at times, with his wife seeking professional help for her mental health too.

And that’s the take home message right there.

Debt ruins lives.

It affects relationships, damages families and causes havoc with peoples’ mental health.

Who would have thought that a holiday in the sun would’ve turned out this way?

We wish Mr and Mrs Hughes, and their family, all the best for the future.