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British man accused of trying to drown daughter-in-law in Florida pool

Mark Gibbon, 62 from England, was arrested in Florida and charged with attempted murder after he was accused of trying to drown his daughter-in-law in a swimming pool on Aug. 3. Polk County Sheriff

A British man has been charged with attempted murder by police in the U.S. after he was accused of trying to kill his daughter-in-law in a swimming pool while on a family vacation.

Mark Raymond Gibbon, 62, from Buckinghamshire, England, allegedly tried to drown his 33-year-old daughter-in-law after a verbal altercation about his grandchildren at the Solterra Resort in Davenport, Fla., on Sunday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said on X.

Judd said officers responded to a call at about 5:20 p.m. on Sunday for a disturbance in a backyard swimming pool.

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The victim told detectives that she and Gibbon began arguing while in the pool of their vacation rental home.

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Police allege that Gibbon pushed the victim’s head underwater several times, which prevented her from breathing.

The victim’s nine-year-old daughter jumped in the pool in an attempt to stop her grandfather from drowning her mother. Still, Gibbon only stopped once two witnesses staying at the vacation rental next door heard the commotion and called the sheriff’s office, authorities alleged.

Gibbon was arrested and taken to the Polk County Jail and charged with attempted second-degree murder and battery.

“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,” the sheriff said in a statement. “Because Mr. Gibbon couldn’t control his anger, he may find himself spending a lot more time in Florida than he had anticipated.”

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