An American investment banker charged with killing a maintenance man at a luxury hotel in Anguilla last month claims he was defending himself and his two daughters.
Scott Hapgood, 44, was charged with manslaughter in the British territory for allegedly killing the hotel employee, Kenny Mitchel, while his two daughters were in the room with him. According to the New York Post’s Page Six, Hapgood’s case has sparked outrage as he was allowed to bail himself out of jail and leave the island despite facing manslaughter charges.
Representatives for Hapgood claimed the Connecticut father killed Mitchel in “self-defense to protect the lives of his young daughters and himself.”
On Thursday, Hapgood’s family released a statement detailing what they say occurred on April 13 at the Malliouhana resort. They characterized Mitchel as an “armed intruder” who allegedly entered their room without Hapgood or his family making a maintenance request.
“The man knocked on the door, saying he was there to fix a broken sink. Scott indicated the sinks were not broken as far as he was aware, but that the man was free to have a look,” they said.
The family denied claims that Hapgood choked his attacker, noting that Mitchel had bitten Hapgood several times as Hapgood was “literally fighting for his life.” Hapgood’s wife reportedly wasn’t in the room when the scuffle occurred.
The press release also included a photo of Hapgood, which reportedly showed him after the alleged attack.
Hapgood remains free on bail as he awaits a court hearing scheduled for August 22.
“Scott’s wounds will heal, but the trauma of this incident will be with our family forever,” the statement concluded.
“Scott Hapgood did what any parent would do — defend himself and his children. And thanks to his actions, Scott and our family survived this terrible encounter.”
[Featured image: Hapgood Family (press release)]
