A deeply in love couple from Morden who died during a terrorist attack in Tunisia “didn’t stand a chance”, an inquest has heard.
Janet Stocker, 63, and her husband John, 74, were among the 38 tourists killed during an attack by gunman Seifeddine Rezgui at the Rui Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Sousse on June 26, 2015.
An inquest into the 30 British deaths at the resort at the Royal Courts of Justice heard today, Monday, January 23, that Mr and Mrs Stocker had been lying on sunbeds close to the sea when Rezgui launched his attack.
Rezgui killed 38 people at the tourist resort
Witness Anthony Miller was holidaying with his wife Julie in Sousse, and had bonded with the Stocker’s a year before at the resort over the fact they also live in Morden. Mr Miller said he and his wife were sunbathing approximately ten yards behind the couple when the tragic events unfolded.
In a statement read out to court by lead counsel to the inquest, Samantha Leek QC, Mr Miller said he noticed a man dressed all in black walking towards Mr and Mrs Stocker. However, as the Tunisian police dressed in similar clothing, he assumed it was a policeman speaking to them and lay back down on his sunbed.
The statement continued: “I heard what I thought was fire crackers going off. I looked up and saw the man standing over John and Janet had something in his hands.”
When straw began flying off the beach umbrella above him, and sand began flying up below him, Mr Miller realised they were being shot at.
Aware his wife was unable to run away, Mr Miller said he pushed her onto the sand and lay on top of her, telling her to play dead. From there, he saw the man swinging what he believed to be an AK47 back and forth, aiming at the people still lying on sun loungers.
Mr Miller added: “He didn’t really move from in front of John and Janet all the time he was firing on the beach.
“They must have been the first shot. They didn’t stand a chance.”
Once Rezgui left the beach to continue his attack in the hotel grounds, Mr Miller made his way down the sand to where his friends lay.
John and Janet Stocker. Family photo/PA Wire
He saw at once that Mrs Stocker had been killed, and although he said he could not be sure that Mr Stocker was dead he “realised I couldn’t do anything for John.”
A post mortem gave the cause of death for both Mr and Mrs Stocker as gunshot wounds to the pelvis.
Statements from other witnesses to the attack on the beach were also read to the court.
One man, Simon Greaves, was returning to the beach with drinks for himself and his wife from a nearby bar when he heard the shots ring out. He described running and hiding behind sun loungers as he frantically searched for his wife Pamela, who also survived the attack.
Mr Greaves said he witnessed Mr Rezgui stand over one sunbather and “fire a single shot like an execution”.
He added: “My only thought was my wife. I had no other thoughts but to get to my wife.”
Another witness, John Graham, described twisting his ankle and breaking his toe as he desperately ran away from the gunfire and sound of grenades, leaving him to crawl along the beach to safety at the neighbouring Bellevue Hotel
Evidence about the death of 51-year-old Trudy Jones, a carer with four children from Wales who had been sunbathing near to the Stocker’s, was also heard.
The witnesses all said that Rezgui did not speak as he carried out the attack and appeared calm and purposeful, with Mr Graham describing his facial expression as “placid” as he fired "indiscriminately".
Mr Greaves added: “His movements were very calm as if he knew exactly where he wanted to go, as if he was making a path.
“He just kept walking forwards, spraying bullets as he did so.”
A ‘pen portrait’ from the Stocker family was also read out in court, which described Mr and Mrs Stocker as “ a happy couple who loved each other” and were both “young at heart”.
It said: “You were always made to feel that you were at the centre of their lives.
“Most importantly, they were still very much in love with each other.
“John and Janet Stocker died together doing what they enjoyed most: being side by side.”
Mr Stocker was a retired printer and photography enthusiast, and Mrs Stocker worked at the North Cheam branch of Sainsbury's.
The couple leave behind five children and ten grandchildren.
The inquest is expected to conclude on February 28.
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