An insurance company was yesterday ordered to pay nearly €15,000 to a couple who were robbed of a fur coat and diamond ring while they were in Russia.

Tonio and Maria Aleksandrovna Cachia travelled to Russia in December 2006 to visit relatives. Before they left, Ms Cachia told her husband she would like to take her fur coat and diamond ring with her to show them to her family, the court heard. It was customary for one to wear one’s finery for Christmas and the new year.

Mr Cachia had already taken out a travel insurance policy but he asked his insurance broker to check that the coat and ring were insured, the couple told the court.

On their arrival in Stavropol, Russia, their suitcase had been stolen

The reply came back that in order for cover to be provided he had to take out a home contents insurance, which he did.

On their arrival in Stavropol, the Cachias’ suitcase, which contained the fur coat and diamond ring, had been stolen.

However, the insurance company, Lloyd’s Malta Limited, refused to make good for the loss suffered by the Cachias on the basis that they had been negligent and also because their insurance cover was limited to Europe, so it did not include Russia.

Yesterday, Mr Justice Silvio Meli dismissed the insurance company’s pleas as being unbecoming of such a prestigious company.

There was no doubt that Russia was part of Europe, and it also formed part of the Council of Europe, he said.

Also, no evidence was produced to show that the Cachias had been negligent. The company was ordered to pay €14,722 to the Cachias, representing the value of the coat and ring.