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Son 'used £80k Porsche to try and run over' Brit holidaymaker accused of drowning his daughter-in-law in Florida pool

Son 'used £80k Porsche to try and run over' Brit holidaymaker accused of drowning his daughter-in-law in Florida pool

Daily Mail​6 days ago
The son of a British man accused of trying to drown his daughter-in-law in a swimming pool in Florida was jailed last year for trying to run over his own father.
Alex Gibbon, 34, is understood to have hit Mark Gibbon with an £80,000 Porsche following a blazing row over the business they ran together in May 2023.
Mark, 62, from Buckinghamshire, is currently in jail in the US after being charged with the attempted murder of Jasmine Wyld - Alex's former partner.
The Daily Mail revealed yesterday that Mark, who allegedly held Ms Wyld's head under water during an argument over his will, was in a romantic relationship with her.
A family source told us that Alex and his father no longer speak - and last year Alex was jailed for trying to drive a car at his estranged father.
It is understood that he hit Mark with the Porsche while he was trying to drive away down a street in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.
Alex pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and harassment without violence.
He was sentenced in February 2024 to two years' in prison and given a three year driving ban as well as a five year restraining order.
Speaking about the incident, a family source told the Daily Mail: 'There was a big argument between Alex and his father in the street.
'Alex had had enough and got into his car to try and drive away but Mark got in front of the vehicle to stop him from leaving.
'Alex shouted to him to "get out the way" but Mark continued to obstruct him and was hit by the car as a result.'
Mark was taken into custody in Florida on August 3 after he allegedly pushed his daughter-in-law under the water in a swimming pool.
Ms Wyld was left with a scratch on her chest and fearing for her life following the alleged incident on their luxury holiday.
His nine-year-old granddaughter was allegedly forced to fight him off to stop him drowning her mother in a pool at the Solterra Resort in Davenport, near DisneyWorld.
Mark is accused of pushing Jasmine's head 'under the water and holding her down multiple times', according to the arrest affidavit.
He has split from his wife and now lives alone in a £800,000 semi-detached home in Beaconsfield.
Meanwhile, Ms Wyld separated from Mark's son Alex, with whom she shares two young children, in 2021.
The source continued: 'Mark and Jasmine have been seeing each other for a few years, but they've never admitted it.
'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.
'Mark and Jasmine do an awful lot together and they go away on holiday with the children a couple of times every year.
'She is always round at his house. She has a place of her own but she's nearly always in Beaconsfield with Mark.
'They went to Florida two years ago and have been to Budapest where she posted pictures of them together like a couple.
'I don't know for sure what happened on this holiday and why Mark has apparently tried to drown her.
'But I have been told that Jasmine was unhappy that they have been in a relationship for a few years and she is not named in his will.'
Mark runs a successful lighting firm called MRG Lighting has working on television and film sets, as well as on music videos for Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Paloma Faith.
Set up in 2023, MRG Lighting Limited had reserves of £122,600 in its first year of trading.
But another of his businesses Ultralight UK Limited has seen its fortunes slide recently.
Two years ago it had cash reserves of £577,618,. But by March last year it was £152,060 in the red.
Mark also runs a fledgling hair salon called Sage Hairdressing Limited, set up in July 2024.
Ms Wyld's (pictured) nine-year-old daughter reportedly bravely jumped into the pool to try and save her mother when she witnessed her grandfather trying to plunge her under the water
The source added: 'Mark is worth about £800,000 and he is leaving everything to his grandchildren.
'He's a successful businessman, who runs his own company and owns his own home. His will has caused some tension in the family.'
Alex, 34, had worked with his father and was appointed a director with Ultralight UK Limited in 2019.
He was involved in the production of The Queen's Christmas Day speech a few years ago.
However, he left the company in 2023 and is said to have had a blazing row with his father in the street afterwards, leading to him running his father over with the car.
Alex's father regularly holidays with Ms Wyld and his two grandchildren.
The pair travelled together with the children - but no other relatives - to Florida together in 2023 and visited Budapest in Hungary in December the same year.
Ms Wyld - who has since returned back home from the U.S - has posted several photographs of her with her father-in-law on trips abroad.
He has also posted images of them all together including a treasured snap of the family visiting a pumpkin patch before Halloween last year.
Ms Wyld has been spending an increasing amount of time staying over at his house with the children, says the family source.
Neighbours in Buckinghamshire yesterday told of their shock.
One said: 'When I read that he'd been arrested on suspicion of attempting to drown his daughter-in-law I just couldn't believe it.
'She spends a lot of time at his home with her children and Mark absolutely dotes on his grandkids. They go on holiday together regularly and are with each other a lot.
'He's a lovely guy - or so it seems to us - I didn't think he was capable of such a thing. He's never displayed any anger or violence while living here.'
According to Polk County Sheriff's Office in Florida, Mr Gibbon had shoved Ms Wyld's head under the water of the pool following a row last Sunday and pushed his granddaughter away when she jumped in to stop him.
He allegedly only stopped the attempted drowning when two neighbouring sisters saw what was happening and shouted over that they had called the Sheriff's Office.
He was taken into custody around 5.19pm on August 3 and is understood to have told police he had been drinking and admitted to pushing his daughter-in-law under the water but denied trying to drown her.
The police report revealed that Ms Wyld '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.'
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said: '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.'
Mr Gibbon has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and battery. He is next due in court on September 9.
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