A British man has been charged with attempted murd3r after allegedly trying to drown his daughter-in-law during a family holiday in Florida, near Disney World, United States of America.
Mark Gibbon, 62, from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, was staying at the luxury Solterra Resort in Davenport with his family when a violent altercation broke out on Monday. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the incident stemmed from a dispute over a will.
Authorities allege that Gibbon attacked his 33-year-old daughter-in-law, Jasmine Wyld, while they were in the resort’s pool, pushing her under the water multiple times. A sheriff’s office spokesperson said the victim “had to fight Mark in order to get away from him and from under the water, but he kept pushing her back under.”
The incident reportedly escalated further when Wyld’s nine-year-old daughter attempted to intervene. Police say Gibbon pushed the child away as she tried to help her mother.
Man arrested after he tried k!lling daughter-in-law while on holiday
According to witness testimony cited in U.S. media reports, Gibbon was seen holding the victim underwater and scratching her chest. Two women who witnessed the incident reportedly told him that they had called the police, prompting him to stop the alleged assault.
Gibbon, a lighting technician by profession, was taken into custody at the scene. During questioning, he is said to have admitted to pushing his daughter-in-law under the water but denied attempting to kill her.
He has been formally charged with attempted second-degree murder and battery. Jasmine Wyld, who shares two children with Gibbon’s son Alex, was not reported to have sustained life-threatening injuries.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd condemned the alleged attack, saying, “It’s great that Polk County draws visitors from all across the world, but we expect vacationers to behave while they visit with us, just as we expect our lifelong residents to do the same. Because Mr Gibbon couldn’t control his anger, he may find himself spending a lot more time in Florida than he had anticipated.”
The Solterra Resort, where the incident occurred, markets itself as a luxury vacation destination located minutes from Walt Disney World.