A British businessman who admitted battery after an incident in a Florida swimming pool has returned to the UK and reunited with the woman he was accused of trying to drown, the Mail can reveal.
Mark Gibbon, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of battery against Jasmine Wyld, 33, the mother of his grandchildren and former partner of his son. The charge was downgraded from attempted second-degree murder as part of a plea deal, and he was released by a US court earlier this month.
The incident occurred last August at the Solterra Resort in Davenport, Florida, during a drunken argument over Gibbon's will. Police reports state that Gibbon pushed Wyld's head underwater multiple times, causing scratches and bruises, before her nine-year-old daughter intervened.
Wyld later pleaded for Gibbon's release, describing him as her 'best friend' and stating she had 'no fear' of him. He has since returned to his home in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, where he runs a lighting business that has worked with Ed Sheeran. Wyld, a hairdresser, has visited his £800,000 home, which is a short drive from her own terraced house.
A source said: 'Mark's been back for a little while now, but he's been keeping his head down and has resumed his business as a lighting engineer. Jasmine has obviously forgiven him and he's grateful that she played such an important role in securing his freedom.'
Gibbon had faced up to 15 years in jail if the original charge had proceeded. The Polk County Sheriff's Office had stated that Gibbon 'pushed and held the victim's head underwater multiple times, preventing her from breathing'.
