United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Cruise guests avoid prison after drunken jewellery theft
Two cruise passengers have escaped a prison sentence after a ‘foolish’ alcohol fueled incident aboard a MSC Cruise ship.
Gary Cooper, 30, and Benjamin Greenwood, 33 were given 15 months suspended sentences plus community service for stealing £76,000 of jewellery from Effy Jewellery store onboard MSC Virtuosa.
The store was unattended as the ship had not departed from Southampton.
The court heard it was an ‘impulsive’ act fuelled by several hours of drinking as soon as they boarded the ship just hours earlier.
The two men has earlier pleaded guilty.
Once the theft was known, ship security tracked down the two men who became aggressive and had to be restrained.
However, the stolen rings and necklaces were not found.
The court heard a police investigation at the time was inadequate as the ship was about to depart.
During sentencing, Judge Rowland said: “This was an impulsive theft in an unattended shop. You had only been on the ship for four hours.”
Around £50,000 worth of jewellery was never recovered. Cooper admitted selling several items.
Related News Stories: Foreign Office issues urgent travel warning for 18 countries Tourists warned to avoid Shibuya Crossing this Halloween Virgin Atlantic pushes back Israel flight restart – TravelMole Celestyal Cruises – TravelMole HAL scraps Red Sea region for 2025 world cruise Qantas’ Perth-London nonstop flights now stopping in Singapore ULEZ charge: What Heathrow bound drivers should know Elegant Resorts – TravelMole Today the busiest day for flying so far this year SITA deploys self-service bag drop tech at Shanghai Pudong Airport
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Storm Lilian travel chaos as bank holiday flights cancelled