Cliff Notes
- Mark Raymond Gibbon, 62, has been charged with attempted second-degree murder for allegedly trying to drown his daughter-in-law in a Florida swimming pool after an argument about his grandchildren.
- The victim’s nine-year-old daughter intervened, jumping into the pool to stop Gibbon, as nearby sisters alerted the authorities.
- Gibbon was arrested and is now held at Polk County Jail, with law enforcement emphasising the expectation of good behaviour from vacationers.
British man charged with trying to drown his daughter-in-law in swimming pool on Florida holiday | US News
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A British man who allegedly tried to drown his daughter-in-law in a holiday swimming pool in Florida has been charged by police.
Mark Raymond Gibbon, 62, of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, allegedly held the 33-year-old underwater repeatedly after they argued about his grandchildren.
He allegedly only stopped when a pair of sisters staying next door called the Polk County sheriff’s department.
The victim’s nine-year-old daughter also allegedly jumped into the pool to stop Gibbon from drowning her mother.
The family were staying at a rental home in the Solterra Resort of Davenport, Florida, when the incident occurred on Sunday, according to Sheriff Grady Judd.
Officers responded to reports of a disturbance in a pool at around 5.20pm local time.
“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,” said the sheriff.
“Because Mr Gibbon couldn’t control his anger, he may find himself spending a lot more time in Florida than he had anticipated.”
Gibbon was arrested and taken to Polk County Jail, where he was charged with attempted second-degree murder and battery.
