Drunk MSC Virtuosa passengers stuffed jewellery in pants

Gary Cooper, 30, and Benjamin Greenwood, 33, stole the ten costly items from the Effy Jewellery store onboard MSC Virtuosa while docked in Southampton on Friday, March 31 last year.

The pair have avoided jail after their actions were labelled "foolish" and "stupid" during sentencing on Wednesday.

Gary Cooper (left) and Benjamin Greenwood (Image: NQ, Jose Ramos)

Southampton Crown Court heard that the two boarded the vessel just after midday and enjoyed the unlimited booze as part of their drinks package.

Four hours after boarding the ship, Greenwood walked into the unmanned store and stole eight rings and two necklaces, while Cooper stood guard.

The court heard the "fully brazen" actions happened while passengers walked past, with the two walking away with £76,000 of jewellery.

A bar on board the MSC Virtuosa. Picture: MSCOnce shop staff realised the jewellery was gone, security guards were alerted and saw the sozzled pair on CCTV putting the jewellery into their underwear.

They then tracked down the bungling thieves in different bars.

Prosecuting, Siobhan Linsley said the pair became "physically aggressive" while being "extremely drunk", meaning they had to be constrained and handcuffed by security.

Police were called on board - and despite the pair being searched by them, the jewellery was not found.

The court heard that because the ship had to leave imminently, officers did not have time to review the CCTV footage and speak to witnesses - or carry out thorough searches of the pair: all of which contributed to why the jewellery was not recovered there and then.

"There was dissatisfaction from security on the searches," Ms Linsley said.

Greenwood and Cooper were still "shouting abuse at the security guard" as they were escorted off the ship by police, Ms Linsley added.

Cooper, of Bradshaw Road in Chichester, West Sussex, later handed himself in at a police station in Chichester, while Greenwood, of Shelby Drive in Chichester, was arrested at Gatwick Airport.

The interior of the MSC Virtuosa. Picture: MSC Greenwood handed in three rings and a necklace worth around £18,500, the court heard.

Cooper admitted to selling some of the items - resulting in £50,000 of jewellery still unaccounted for.

Mitigating, Rob Harding said the two realised what they did was "foolish" and "stupid".

He said: "The problem seems to be alcohol. Given the lack of previous convictions, these are not defendants who have an approach to criminality."

He added that it "must have been apparent they were drunk" and called it a "recipe for disaster".

"They accept they have done something which is very very wrong and they must be punished," he said.

The pair previously pleaded guilty to theft.

The MSC Virtuosa. Picture: MSC Sentencing, Judge Rowland told the pair in the dock: "This was an impulsive theft in an unattended shop. You had only been on the ship for four hours."

He recognised that the offences were "out of character" and that there was a chance of rehabilitation.

He added that a custodial sentence would have a "harmful impact" on children.

They were given 15 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and told to carry out 270 hours of community work.