A second man has been arrested following the mysterious death of a grandfather during a cruise ship stag party that turned fatal just hours after leaving the UK.
James Messham, 60, tragically died following an alleged altercation aboard the MSC Virtuosa on Saturday, May 3, while the ship was still sailing through British waters en route to Belgium.
Initially, a 57-year-old man from Exeter was arrested on suspicion of murder and later released pending further investigation. Now, Hampshire police have confirmed a second arrest—this time, a 56-year-old man from Richmond, London, who remains in custody on suspicion of manslaughter.
Authorities are continuing to appeal for witnesses, particularly passengers on the cruise who may have seen what unfolded that evening. The ship had just departed from Southampton around 6 p.m. and the incident occurred about two hours later.
Messham, a well-known showman from Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex, ran the legendary Messham’s Wall of Death motorbike act. Friends and fellow performers have taken to social media to pay tribute to him, calling him a “proper gent” and a “legend of the fairground.”
“I was absolutely gutted when I heard the news,” said close friend Joby Carter. “He was salt of the earth. You knew if you had a problem, he’d be there for you day or night.”
James’ family has shared heartfelt messages online but has not yet spoken publicly about the tragedy.
Police stressed this appears to be an isolated incident, and praised the ship’s crew for their cooperation. The cruise line echoed those sentiments, stating that they are offering full support to investigators and those affected by the incident.
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