A British businessman accused of attempting to drown his daughter-in-law during a family holiday near Disney World has been refused bail despite the alleged victim’s extraordinary plea for his release, with a Florida judge expressing “great concern” over contradictory testimony.
Mark Gibbon, 62, from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, remains in custody at Polk County Jail in Bartow, Florida, after Judge Jalal Harb denied a defence motion seeking his release during a dramatic court hearing. The lighting company owner faces charges of attempted second-degree murder and two counts of battery following an incident at the Solterra Resort in Davenport on 3 August.
In a stunning courtroom development, alleged victim Jasmine Wyld, 33, testified via video link from England that she had “always felt very safe around Mark” and described him as her “best friend”. The hairdresser’s testimony directly contradicted her sworn statement to police immediately after the incident, in which she said she “could not breathe and feared that she would drown.
Judge Questions Victim’s Changing Story
Judge Harb firmly rejected the defence motion, stating that Ms Wyld’s testimony was “nowhere near consistent to what was provided to the sheriff’s office” on the day of the alleged attack. The judge added: “Quite frankly, her testimony is of great concern to this court.”
According to The Times, Ms Wyld told the court: “This has come as a bit of a shock to me. I can only sing his praises for what a fantastic grandfather he is.” She actively supported Gibbon’s lawyer’s motion for release, subject to a “no-violence” order.
The dramatic testimony comes amid revelations that Gibbon and Ms Wyld have allegedly been in a romantic relationship for the past two years, following the breakdown of their respective marriages. Ms Wyld shares two children with Gibbon’s son Alex, 34, who is reportedly estranged from his father.
Nine-Year-Old Girl’s Heroic Pool Rescue
The incident unfolded at approximately 5.20pm local time when deputies from Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a disturbance at the luxury vacation rental’s swimming pool. According to police affidavits, Gibbon allegedly pushed and held Ms Wyld’s head underwater “multiple times” during an argument about his will.
The couple’s nine-year-old granddaughter witnessed the attack and jumped into the pool in a desperate attempt to save her mother. Police reports indicate Gibbon “pushed” the child away and continued his assault on Ms Wyld.
A witness told officers she “observed him push the victim under the water and hold her there multiple times” and watched as he “scratched her on her chest”, according to US website People. The alleged attack only ceased when two neighbouring sisters shouted that they had called police.
Will Dispute Sparked Poolside Violence
In a post-Miranda interview with deputies, Gibbon allegedly admitted to pushing Ms Wyld “under the water a few times” but claimed he never intended to drown her. He told investigators the altercation began over “stipulations of his will”, with sources claiming the dispute centred on Gibbon’s decision to leave his £800,000 estate to his grandchildren rather than Ms Wyld.
Ms Wyld’s police statement described fighting desperately to escape: “She advised that she could not breathe and believed that she was going to drown. [The victim] advised that she had to fight Mark in order to get away from him and from under the water but he kept pushing her back under.”
Sheriff Grady Judd issued a stark warning following the arrest: “It’s great that Polk County draws visitors from all across the world, but we expect vacationers to behave while they visit with us. Because Mr Gibbon couldn’t control his anger, he may find himself spending a lot more time in Florida than he had anticipated.”
Complex Family Dynamics Revealed
The case has exposed a tangled web of family relationships and financial disputes. According to the Daily Mail, Gibbon and Ms Wyld’s alleged relationship began after their marriages collapsed, with one source claiming Alex Gibbon once discovered his ex-wife and father in bed together.
Mark and Jasmine have been seeing each other for a few years, but they’ve never admitted it,” a family source told the newspaper. “Alex and his dad don’t speak at all. There have been a number of issues within the family. He feels an awful betrayal at how his dad has struck up a relationship with the mother of his two children.”
The father-son relationship deteriorated so severely that Alex was jailed in February 2024 for attempting to run over his father with an £80,000 Porsche. He received a two-year prison sentence, a three-year driving ban, and a five-year restraining order. Court records also show Alex previously pleaded guilty to harassing Ms Wyld.
Successful Businessman Faces Decades Behind Bars
Gibbon heads MRG Lighting Limited (formerly Ultralight UK Limited), a successful film and television lighting company that has worked on high-profile projects including music videos for Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, and Paloma Faith. The company previously provided lighting services for the Queen’s televised Christmas speech.
Company records show Alex worked as a director alongside his father until resigning in April 2023, shortly before their relationship completely collapsed. Gibbon is also listed as the sole director of Sage Hairdressing, a company established in July last year connected to Ms Wyld’s hairdressing business.
If convicted on all charges, Gibbon faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty to the battery charges at a separate hearing last week and did not appear before Judge Harb for the latest proceedings.
Witnesses Describe Harrowing Attack
Multiple witnesses provided consistent accounts of the alleged assault to investigators. One woman staying at the neighbouring vacation rental told deputies she instructed a friend to call 911 because “she was afraid for [Wyld’s] safety as the altercation was escalating” and “believed that [Wyld] could have been drowned in this incident.”
The witness statements describe a prolonged attack in which Gibbon repeatedly forced Ms Wyld underwater despite her struggles to escape and his granddaughter’s attempts to intervene. Deputies noted that whilst Gibbon showed no visible injuries, Ms Wyld had a scratch across her chest consistent with the witness accounts.
State prosecutor Michael Berkowitz questioned Ms Wyld during her video testimony about whether her opinion of Gibbon had changed since he allegedly tried to murder her. She responded that she remained “in a state of shock” over the incident but maintained her support for his release.
Legal Experts Question Flight Risk
Legal sources suggest Gibbon’s wealth and British citizenship make him a significant flight risk, complicating any future bail applications. “He could technically be eligible for bail, but because of his wealth and the fact he is a British citizen, a judge may consider him too high a flight risk,” one source told the Daily Mail.
Any future bail consideration would likely require Gibbon to surrender his passport and agree to electronic monitoring. However, Judge Harb’s strong reaction to Ms Wyld’s contradictory testimony suggests securing release will prove challenging.
The case has drawn significant media attention on both sides of the Atlantic, with the shocking family dynamics and Ms Wyld’s unexpected court testimony adding layers of complexity to what prosecutors initially described as a straightforward attempted murder case.
Gibbon remains in custody pending his next court appearance on 9 September, when he will face the attempted murder charge that could see the successful businessman spending his retirement years in a Florida prison rather than enjoying holidays with his family.
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