British tourist is jailed for eight years for swallowing £31,000 diamond ring

British tourist is jailed for eight years for swallowing £31,000 diamond ring ‘that reminded him of his dead wife and put him in a trance’ when he saw it at Turkish jewellery store

  • Ian Campbell tried to steal 2.5-carat diamond ring during a holiday to Marmaris
  • But realising he was about to be found out, the 54-year-old swallowed the item
  • Claimed that every time he saw a diamond in a shop he could not stop thinking about his late wife and that he ‘fell into a trance’ when he saw the Marmaris ring

A British tourist has been jailed for eight years for swallowing a £31,000 diamond ring at a jewellery shop in Turkey.

Ian Campbell, of Newry in County Down, tried to steal the ring during a holiday to Marmaris in October, but put it in his mouth after realising he was about to be found out.  

Campbell told prosecutors he had become obsessed by diamonds since his wife died in a traffic accident in which her car had gone into a lake.

Her diamond ring had never been found and Campbell claimed that every time he saw a diamond in a shop he could not stop thinking about his wife. This prompted him to ‘fall into a trance’ when he saw the ring in the Marmaris jewellers, he told prosecutors. 

A British tourist has been jailed for swallowing a £31,000 diamond ring in Turkey. Ian Campbell (pictured) is seen at Marmaris State Hospital in Turkey after downing the 2.5 carat diamond ring

Ian Campbell (right), of Newry in County Down, was sentenced to eight years and nine months in jail for the theft, during his annual holiday to Marmaris 

Ian Campbell (right), of Newry in County Down, was sentenced to eight years and nine months in jail for the theft, during his annual holiday to Marmaris 

He was stopped by shop staff, arrested and taken to a local hospital where he was given laxatives and monitored for two days as he ran, jumped and drank liquids in an attempt to move the ring.

When that did not work he gave his consent to a surgical procedure which recovered the diamond ring.  

Campnell told prosecutors: ‘The jewellers was telling me something but I couldn’t even hear him because I was in a trance. 

Campbell tried to steal the 2.5-carat diamond ring from a jewellers last October but, realising he was about to be found out, he swallowed it. He is pictured seen inspecting the ring at the jewellers.

Campbell tried to steal the 2.5-carat diamond ring from a jewellers last October but, realising he was about to be found out, he swallowed it. He is pictured seen inspecting the ring at the jewellers.

Campbell claimed he had become obsessed by diamonds since his wife died in a traffic accident in which her car had gone into a lake. After the theft, he was taken to Marmaris State Hospital in Turkey (pictured) 

Campbell claimed he had become obsessed by diamonds since his wife died in a traffic accident in which her car had gone into a lake. After the theft, he was taken to Marmaris State Hospital in Turkey (pictured) 

‘When I was conscious again I found myself hiding a diamond in my pocket and I swallowed it in panic as jewellers started to search me.’

Campbell said he had been going to Marmaris on holiday every year since 2004.

He was sentenced by a court in Marmaris for eight years and nine months for ‘qualified theft’. 

He is expected to appeal against the sentence.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk