The Lloyd’s List Podcast: The lingering scandal of the Brilliante Virtuoso

Lloyd's List: The Shipping Podcast

Why has the marine insurance industry forgotten about Cynthia Mockett? That is the question at the heart of this week’s edition of the Lloyd’s List Podcast. The widow of a UK marine surveyor and consultant murdered in Yemen 13 years ago in one of the biggest marine insurance frauds in Lloyd’s of London history is still fighting for compensation, as well as payment for the work that led to his death. Cynthia Mockett, based in Plymouth, England, was the wife of Capt David Mockett, based in Aden, Yemen, until his death in July 2011, when a bomb placed in his car exploded. Days earlier, Capt Mockett had inspected the 1992--built suezmax Brillante Virtuoso (IMO: 9014822), owned by Marios Iliopoulos, in waters outside Aden, after the suezmax tanker was set ablaze in a fake piracy attack. The financially troubled owner owed $80m in loans taken out against the vessel which was worth $13.5m, court evidence showed. Capt Mockett had raised doubts the fire was caused by pirates, with a UK coroner later finding his death was unlawful with evidence from a UK diplomat that the bombing was related to the insurance fraud. London-based Noble Denton, on behalf of Talbot AIS, the lead hull underwriter, contracted Capt Mockett. Ms Mockett told Lloyd’s List Noble Denton never got in touch after her husband’s death nor paid for his work on the Brillante Virtuoso. Talbot contacted her for the first time this month, nearly 13 years later, to apologise, and send condolences. A high-profile High Court case found in 2019 that the shipowner orchestrated a complex conspiracy along with crew, the Aden-based salvor and Yemen coast guard to fraudulently organize a fake piracy attack, then claim for the vessel’s loss. The probable murder of Capt Mockett was part of conspiracy, the judge found. Previous correspondence to Talblot AIS from Mrs Mockett went unanswered and she did not hear back from anybody until last week, when the company’s chief executive Chris Rash called. “The longest conversation I've had with Talbots has been in the last few days when Chris Rash has phoned me up,” said Mrs Mockett. “Nobody came to see me (at the time) and nobody has phoned me up and nobody has mentioned compensation, nothing. “When David died, everything died with him and his paypacket, and his pension disappeared. I've had nothing.” Mrs Mockett’s local MP, Sir Gary Streeter is one of a small group of people who has helped for nearly a decade in her fight for compensation and justice. There have been no charges laid against any of those involved in the Brillante Virtuoso case. The High Court judgement on the Brillante Virtuoso case can be read here: https://7kbw.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/BRILLANTE-VIRTUOSO-High-Court-Judgment.pdf