A year on from a fire that claimed the lives of three people, there is concern that no one will be held criminally responsible.
Sisters Donna-Janse Van Rensburg and Sharon McLean from Aberdeen and Keith Russell, who was from Edinburgh, all died in the blaze along with Donna’s dog Joey, at the New County Hotel in perth on January 2 last year.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated by police.
But with the hotel’s parent company, Perth Hospitality, now in liquidation and the death of the owner Rashid Hussain, there are questions whether anyone will ever be held accountable.
Two days into 2023, the fire tore through the city centre hotel in the early hours of the morning.
Karen Kennedy, former hotel manager, said earlier this year: “These young people have families at home. One night of horror has turned into a lifetime of grief for them.”
It has haunted hotel staff too.
STV NewsWorkers said they raised repeated concerns about faulty electrics, fire hazards and freezing conditions. They also claim the owner refused to pay for repairs.
Staff showed STV News pictures and videos of damp, water pouring from light fittings, and torn carpets patched together with tape.
In the days after the fire,…