A passenger on a cruise ship where a man was ‘murdered’ has told of how their journey turned from relaxing to ‘carnage’ after leaving Southampton.
A 21-year-old, who does not want to be named, described scenes of drunken brawls erupting almost immediately after boarding the two-night return voyage to Belgium with her boyfriend.
She told the Mirror: ‘It was full of stag and hen dos that just made the boat really rowdy. We got on the boat the first day about 2pm and it was all sunny and we went to the pool but you could already see fights breaking out.
‘We got to the pool about 3pm and people who were already on the boat were in drunken arguments and scraps.
‘We were sat quite far back and all of a sudden you would hear cheering and chanting and you would look over and see people fighting. The bar staff were still serving people to the point they were paralytically drunk, it was just carnage.’
The alleged murder occurred later that evening, around 8.30pm, when a fight reportedly broke out on the ship while it was still in British waters.
The victim, James Messham, 60, a grandfather and former stuntman, died following the altercation aboard the MSC Virtuosa.
He had been part of the Messhams Wall of Death, Europe’s oldest motorcycle stunt show, and was described as a ‘proper gent’ and ‘salt of the earth’ by friends.
A 57-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a 60-year-old grandfather. But was released on bail on Tuesday afternoon.
An Army medic on the cruise is believed to have tried to save the ex-stuntman, who is said to have rode motorbikes as part of the daring Wall of Death attraction at fairs with members of his family.
In recent years he had presented the show as his son Jake and other riders wowed crowds as they whizzed around the vertical walls.
The Messhams Wall of Death is Europe’s oldest motorcycle sport show, going back four generations of the family to around 1929.
It later emerged that the Traitors’ winner Harry Clark and his girlfriend were among the passengers enjoying the two-night cruise. He was said to be ‘very shocked and saddened’ by the incident and was ‘thinking of the individual’s family and friends’.
Following the announcement of the 60-year-old’s death, tributes began to pour in for Mr Messham, a much-loved father and grandfather.
His friend Joby Carter of Carter’s Steam Fair said he was ‘gutted’ at the news, saying: ‘We always got along with him. He was a proper gent, salt of the earth.’
‘We used to travel Carter’s Steam Fair. He approached us because he had a wall of death and wanted to travel with us’.
Mr Carter added anyone who knew Mr Messham, from Sussex, would also know ‘if you had a problem he would come and help you any time day or night’.
The daring stunt man had been a part of the fair until around eight years ago.
He was understood to have been travelling with relatives who helped him run the popular motorbike stunt show the Wall of Death.
Mr Carter added: ‘He was such a trier and did really well in the haulage business as well.’
Mr Messhem’s family in Sussex were too upset to speak but touching posts have been shared by relatives on Facebook.
One friend commented on a photo of Mr Messham posted by son Jake Messham: ‘My deepest sympathy on your loss, he was a proper old school showman, condolences to the rest of the family. Rip’
And another said: ‘He will be missed by everyone. When he travelled with us with the wall some years ago in Ireland, your dad and all your family were very helpful and great people to be around.
‘He was a great showman and friend to all.’
In an interview with thewidowstanton website, Jake Messham, who is a fourth-generation rider for the wall of death, says that the family’s show is the oldest in Europe, dating back to the 1930s.
An eyewitness said there were ‘hen and stag parties causing chaos’ on the boat.
Traitors star Harry Clark and his girlfriend Anna Maynard were among the passengers enjoying the two-night cruise.
There is no suggestion he was involved in the violence.
He was spotted by fellow passenger Lynda Hardiman-Pearce, who runs a catering business.
She spoke about meeting the the series two winner before the ‘carnage’ broke out.
She told the Metro: ‘People were jolly but it was a bit like a modern Wild West with stag and hen dos everywhere.
‘Harry from Traitors was on board with a big group of family, but they were low-key and just had a nice time together.
‘Harry was lovely, a very nice guy.’
He won The Traitors’ £95,000 prize last January after deceiving his fellow contestants, including Faithful runner-up Mollie Pierce.
A source told The Sun the star was ‘clearly very shocked and saddened by the news’.
Only a few months earlier, Colombian national Jessica Andrea Gomez Granda, 28, died after falling overboard the ship near the Channel Islands in October.
The vessel is also known as the filming site for Channel 5 drama The Good Ship Murder which stars X Factor winner Shayne Ward.
According to a passenger onboard, the trip was a ‘booze cruise’ to Bruges.
The men involved in the incident were said to be among a party of 20.
Hampshire Police told a homicide investigation was launched following the death of the man aboard the MSC Virtuosa in British waters.
The ship left Southampton at 6pm on Saturday with the reports being made at around 8.30pm that a man, 60, had died following an ‘altercation’.
Mr Messhem’s next of kin were informed and supported by specialist officers.
His body is believed to have been kept aboard the ship until Monday morning when it docked back in the Horizon terminal in Hampshire.
According to the Maritime Injury Guide, most large cruise ships will have a morgue on board and which typically has space for between three to six bodies.
Detective Chief Insp Matt Gillooly, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s senior investigating officer, said: ‘We want to reassure you that this appears to be an isolated incident onboard and we want to thank the crew for their cooperation and assistance with our enquiries.’
A spokesman for MSC Virtuosa said: ‘Following an incident on board our ship, the relevant authorities were contacted, and we are co-operating fully with their investigations. We are providing full support to those impacted.’