A British man from Buckinghamshire has been released from custody in Florida after agreeing to a plea deal concerning allegations that he tried to drown his daughter-in-law in a swimming pool.
The Incident at the Holiday Resort
Mark Raymond Gibbon, a 62-year-old from Beaconsfield, was arrested in August following a serious altercation at a rental property in the Solterra Resort of Davenport, Florida. The dispute reportedly began as an argument concerning his grandchildren.
The situation escalated dramatically at the pool, where Gibbon was accused of pushing his 33-year-old daughter-in-law into the water. According to the initial report from the Polk County Sheriff's Department, he then allegedly held her head underwater multiple times, preventing her from breathing.
The victim's nine-year-old daughter witnessed the event and bravely jumped into the pool in an attempt to stop Gibbon from drowning her mother.
Legal Proceedings and Revised Charges
Gibbon was initially arrested and taken to a Florida jail, facing a serious charge of attempted second-degree murder alongside two counts of battery.
However, court documents reveal that the charges against him were revised in September. A booking sheet from the sheriff's office, dated 5 September, listed new charges: two counts of battery and one count of battery by strangulation.
During the proceedings, Gibbon secured his temporary release on 3 September after paying bonds totalling $26,000 (approximately £19,800) to the sheriff's office.
The Plea Deal and Release
A significant development occurred on 7 November, when a plea deal was finalised. According to a court memo from that date, the more severe charge of battery by strangulation was dropped.
Gibbon pleaded guilty to the two remaining battery charges as part of the agreement. The court sentenced him to time served and ordered him to pay court costs amounting to $1,308.68 (around £996).
The court also directed that his passport be returned to him, effectively allowing him to return to the UK. This outcome means Gibbon will serve no further jail time for the incident.
