A British businessman accused of trying to drown his former daughter-in-law turned lover during a Florida holiday has admitted to battery charges in a US court, with his own lawyer joking about his desperation to return to the UK to see her.
From Attempted Murder to a Guilty Plea
Wealthy lighting engineer Mark Gibbon, 62, from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, was originally arrested in August and charged with second-degree attempted murder. The charge, which carried a potential 15-year prison sentence, stemmed from a drunken altercation at the luxury Solterra Resort in Davenport, Florida.
The incident involved Jasmine Wyld, 33, a hairdresser who was previously engaged to Gibbon's son, Alex. During the argument, Gibbon put Wyld's head under the water of a swimming pool multiple times. The situation was only stopped when Wyld's nine-year-old daughter intervened.
Gibbon remained in prison until the case was resolved via a plea deal. Prosecutors downgraded the charge to battery by strangulation after Wyld stated she did not feel in danger around him and believed he had been "punished enough."
Courtroom Laughter Over Deportation Desire
During a brief four-minute hearing at Polk County court on November 7th, Gibbon's lawyer, Kevin Cox, made a remark that prompted audible laughter, in which even the defendant joined.
After explaining Gibbon was from the United Kingdom and wished to return, Cox addressed the judge's standard warning that a guilty plea could lead to deportation for non-US citizens. "He wants to be deported to England, judge," Cox quipped.
Gibbon pleaded no contest—a US legal term where a defendant accepts punishment without technically admitting guilt—to two counts of misdemeanour battery. Judge Michelle Pincket adjudicated him guilty and sentenced him to time served.
He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling $1,308.68 (£990), with portions allocated to a rape crisis fund and a domestic violence fund. His $25,000 (£18,924) bail was waived upon the case's resolution.
A Controversial Reconciliation Back in Britain
Following the hearing, Gibbon immediately returned to the UK. The Daily Mail has reported that he and Wyld have now fully reconciled and have been pictured walking a dog together outside the £800,000 semi-detached house in Beaconsfield they once again share.
The pair's relationship has caused a deep family rift. Sources indicate Gibbon's son, Alex, discovered Wyld in his father's bed while they were still together, sparking a major fallout. In a separate incident in February last year, Alex was sentenced to two years in prison for driving a Porsche towards his father during an argument. The two men are now estranged.
A source close to Gibbon stated he feels fortunate to have avoided jail time and has resumed his work as a lighting engineer, a career that has seen him work with celebrities like Ed Sheeran.
