A British man accused of attempting to drown his daughter-in-law, with whom he was in a relationship, has been released by a US court after pleading guilty to battery. Mark Gibbon, 62, from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, admitted to one count of battery and paid $1,308.68 in costs, avoiding jail time.
The incident occurred in August at the Solterra Resort in Davenport, Florida, where Gibbon allegedly pushed Jasmine Wyld, 33, underwater multiple times during a drunken argument over his will. Wyld's nine-year-old daughter intervened, according to police reports. Gibbon was initially charged with second-degree attempted murder, later reduced to battery by strangulation.
Court documents filed in Florida state that Gibbon's passport has been returned and he will serve no prison sentence. The case was resolved on 7 November, meaning he is likely already back in the UK. Gibbon had been released on $25,000 bail, which was waived upon resolution.
Prosecutors said Wyld, who would have been the key witness, wanted the case dropped so Gibbon could return to the UK with her. She described him as 'a good man' who 'adores his family' and stated she had 'no fear of him'. Gibbon's original charge could have carried up to 15 years in prison.
