LONDON, SEPT 22
A waiter working on cruise ship Arcadia hanged himself after being caught stealing tips from an on-board restaurant while the ship was docked at Southampton. An inquest was told that Sumith Gawas, 22, killed himself in his cabin on the P&O Cruises ship while it was in dock at the port.
Gawas, from Collem, was a junior waiter at a self-service restaurant on board Arcadia when he was caught emptying the tips box by colleagues in the early hours of July 16 this year. He was confronted by supervisor Dharmendra Jadhav. He tried to hide £140 in notes he had taken, but they were found.
One of the key-holders for the box in which passengers could leave tips for crew at the end of a voyage, Gawas was said to be popular with colleagues. After being caught, Gawas was told to go to his cabin. His cabin mate Joel Fernandes left for work the next morning, but came back later to get some cigarettes and found Gawas hanging. £800 in cash was found in his possession, which was more than he would have earned.
The Coroner recorded a verdict of suicide and said the shame of the theft had led him to take his life. Police ruled out any foul play.
