A second man has been arrested in connection with the death of 60-year-old grandad James Messham, who died following an alleged altercation aboard a luxury cruise ship.
Tragedy during stag party at sea
James, a veteran showman believed to have run the famous Wall of Death motorbike stunt show, was onboard the MSC Virtuosa when an incident unfolded just over two hours into the voyage. The ship had left Southampton on the evening of Saturday, May 3, bound for Bruges, when violence reportedly broke out. The altercation occurred at around 8.30pm while the ship was still in British waters.
James was travelling with relatives and is understood to have been part of a stag do party at the time of the incident.
Second suspect in custody
Hampshire Police initially arrested a 57-year-old man from Exeter on suspicion of murder. He was later released pending further inquiries. Police have now confirmed a second man, aged 56 and from Richmond, London, has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. He remains in custody.
A spokesperson for the force said: “We remain keen to hear from anyone who was aboard the ship, which had departed Southampton around 6pm on Saturday and was still in British waters at the time.”
Tributes to a ‘legend’ of the show circuit
Tributes have poured in for James, who had worked in haulage and was a well-known figure on the fairground and stunt show circuit. He was remembered as a “proper old school showman” and “salt of the earth”.
One online tribute said: “My deepest sympathy on your loss, he was a proper old school showman. Condolences to the rest of the family. RIP.” Another said: “He was a great showman and friend to all. He’ll be missed by everyone.”
Chaos aboard the MSC Virtuosa
Though the cruise continued as scheduled, not all passengers were unaware of the tragedy. Witnesses spoke of “carnage” on the ship and described an army medic attempting to save James’s life.
Passenger Lynda Hardiman-Pearce said: “The ship was packed. There were hen and stag dos everywhere. I thought I was a party animal but this was off the scale – it was carnage. I was queuing for a drink when a guy pushed in. He said he was an army medic who was trying to save the life of a man who hadn’t made it. That was the first I knew of the death.”
Despite the seriousness of the incident, the party atmosphere continued onboard, with many passengers reportedly unaware of what had happened. The investigation remains ongoing.
