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Title: UK 'treasure' divers due in court Post by: Neil on March 24, 2009, 09:12:41 AM Courtesy of BBC online - 24th March 2009
Three British divers accused of stealing treasure from a shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean in 2002, are due to appear in court in Spain. Peter Devlin, Steve Russ and Malcolm Cubin - all from Cornwall - are charged with taking gold and diamonds, and with destroying Spain's cultural heritage. They have denied the charges, which carry a jail term of up to six years. The team was recovering tin ingots from the wreck of a Dutch vessel, but was accused of straying onto another wreck. The three British men insist they were working in partnership with the Spanish government. The commercial divers maintain that they never recovered treasure, and that at the time of their arrest, they were on their way to meet the Spanish authorities to discuss their findings. Mr Devlin, from Falmouth, Mr Cubin, from Truro, and Mr Russ, from Helston, had gone to Spain to work on the wreck of the Friesland, a Dutch vessel which sank in the Atlantic in the late 19th Century. They have said they were working on a salvage contract awarded by the Spanish government. Prosecutors allege they strayed on to the Don Pedro, a shipwreck which some believe was loaded with gold and diamonds. After a seven year delay, the men are due to stand trial in the north-western Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. The men are each charged with one count of theft. They also each face a further charge of destruction of the patrimonial heritage of Spain. Title: Re: UK 'treasure' divers due in court Post by: StumbledUpon on March 24, 2009, 10:21:00 AM Interesting article Neil, :) Spain has never had a problem stealing other countries 'Cultural heritage' one of the biggest looters in the world, almost on par with the British Museum!!!!
Title: Re: UK 'treasure' divers due in court Post by: Richy on March 25, 2009, 01:14:01 PM From The Independant newspaper today.
Three British divers who admitted stealing treasure from a shipwreck in the Atlantic were given suspended jail sentences, Peter Devlin, Steve Russ and Malcolm Cubin, commercial divers from Cornwall, were accused of stealing gold and diamonds from the Spanish vessel "Don Pedro". They were given two six-month suspended prison sentences in Santiago, Spain, and ordered to pay fines of 5,000euros (£4,600) each. Title: Re: UK 'treasure' divers due in court Post by: Spooyt Vane on March 25, 2009, 01:37:16 PM Waterhawks. :) :) :)
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