Inset: Mark Gibbon (Polk County Jail). Background: Solterra Resorts in Davenport, Florida, where Gibbon is accused of attempting to drown his daughter-in-law (Google Maps).
While vacationing in Florida, a tourist purportedly attempted to drown his daughter-in-law during a dispute concerning his will, and was only thwarted when his granddaughter and nearby residents alerted 911.
This incident unfolded on Sunday in Davenport, located not far from Walt Disney World and other attractions, as reported by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in a press release. Officers arrived at the Solterra Resort on Pine Tree Trail around 5:19 p.m. following reports of a disturbance in a backyard swimming pool.
The victim, along with other witnesses, reported that 62-year-old Mark Raymond Gibbon from Beaconsfield, England, approximately 25 miles west of London, repeatedly submerged the 33-year-old woman during their altercation. The family was on holiday together when Gibbon and his daughter-in-law clashed over the “stipulations of his will,” according to an arrest affidavit.
According to the complaint, Gibbon supposedly “pushed her under the water and held her down multiple times.” Despite her attempts to escape, he continued to shove her underwater.
“She stated that she was unable to breathe and feared for her life,” deputies noted. “[The victim] indicated that she had to struggle against Mark to break free from him and the water, but he persisted in pushing her under.”
It was at this point that the victim’s 9-year-old daughter saw what was happening and “jumped into the pool” to her mother’s defense, according to cops. The girl tried to get him to stop but Gibbon allegedly pushed her away.
The victim saw some neighbors and yelled at them to call 911. Gibbon allegedly stopped when the neighbors said they were calling the sheriff’s office.
Deputies arrived on scene and took Gibbon into custody. After receiving his Miranda warnings, he allegedly admitted to pushing his daughter-in-law underwater but said he did not intend to drown her. He claimed they were drinking when they got to talking about the will and she slapped him, which is what he said set off the skirmish.
The daughter-in-law reportedly suffered a couple of scratches.
Gibbon was arrested on charges of attempted second-degree murder and battery. He remains in the Polk County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 9.
“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,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
