Two several years since deadly Caribbean lodge altercation, Scott Hapgood's situation stalls

DARIEN — A circumstance that drew global consideration, outrage on a Caribbean island and even piqued the fascination of previous President Donald Trump, has absent silent.

Tuesday will mark two a long time since Darien expense banker Scott Hapgood was involved in a fatal altercation with a hotel worker although vacationing with his family in Anguilla.

The 27-calendar year-aged lodge employee, Kenny Mitchel, was killed through the incident. Hapgood was billed with manslaughter and has been regarded as a “fugitive from justice” due to the fact skipping a court docket listening to in November 2019.

The criminal and civil lawsuits connected with the incident have stalled throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

A spokesman for the Hapgoods declined to comment and said the family did not want to be interviewed. An attorney symbolizing the mom of Mitchel’s little one also declined to remark.

Proclaiming he fears for his lifestyle, Hapgood has refused to return to the British island. Right after the skipped courtroom appearance, Anguillian authorities threatened to have Hapgood arrested and extradited again to the Caribbean, but no action has been taken.

At the course of a increased choose, a justice of the peace is conducting an inquiry into whether or not the prosecution ought to carry on without having Hapgood current for courtroom hearings.

Hapgood’s appeal of the better judge’s ruling was denied.

What occurs up coming will depend on the magistrate’s investigation, and it stays unknown when that will be accomplished.

Hapgood, 46, contends that Mitchel unexpectedly showed up at his family’s space at the Malliouhana Resort on April 13, 2019, to take care of a sink that wasn’t claimed broken. Hapgood had been at the resort vacationing with his family members, which includes his three kids, two of whom have been in the place when Mitchel arrived.

Mitchel was an staff of the resort and was donning a hotel uniform when he confirmed up at the home, according to Hapgood’s lawyers.

In a lawsuit filed towards the resort, Hapgood contends Mitchel pulled out a knife, demanded revenue and attacked him. The lawsuit statements Hapgood acted in self-protection when he fought with Mitchel. Hapgood restrained Mitchel for approximately an hour as resort officers unsuccessful to promptly phone police or an ambulance, the lawsuit claimed.

Mitchel’s estate has submitted its personal lawsuit towards Hapgood, professing the former UBS banker retained his arm on the more youthful man’s neck for much more than 40 minutes. The results ended up supported by an autopsy, which said Mitchel died of prone restraint, positional asphyxia and blunt-pressure trauma to the head, neck and torso.

Having said that, a toxicology report afterwards discovered Mitchel had a deadly total of cocaine in his system. That obtaining is mentioned in Hapgood’s lawsuit against the vacation resort.

No formal law enforcement stories on the battle have been produced.

Hapgood has denied nearly all of the allegations contained in the lawsuit filed by Mitchel’s estate and would like the civil motion dismissed and a selection of damages and his authorized expenses paid out by the young man’s family.

“The attacker was restrained by Scott for considerably much less than an hour, and he died just after arriving at the hospital,” said Jamie Diaferia, a spokesman for the Hapgood family.

The incident sparked worldwide outrage and has been the focal level of speculation on what happened in Hapgood’s hotel place primary up to Mitchel’s loss of life.

Anguillians have protested Hapgood’s launch from jail and return to the U.S., while the Darien guy stated he and his household have acquired demise threats.

The circumstance caught Trump’s focus when Hapgood’s spouse, Kallie, appeared on Fox & Friends in Oct 2019.

“Will be looking into the Scott Hapgood situation, and the Island of Anguilla,” Trump tweeted that working day. “Something appears and appears incredibly completely wrong. I know Anguilla will want to see this circumstance be appropriately and justly fixed!”