The Connecticut father and businessman who is facing manslaughter charges for killing a Caribbean resort worker in front of his two young daughters says he and his family have been ‘living a nightmare’.
‘On April 13, my family’s life was changed forever,’ Gavin Scott Hapgood, 44, said at a press conference Tuesday in New York ahead of his pretrial hearing on the island of Anguilla Thursday. ‘Since that day, we’ve been living a nightmare that has gradually become our reality.’
Hapgood was with his two young daughters in his hotel room at the upscale Malliouhana resort when he alleges employee Kenny Mitchel, 27, pulled a knife and tried to rob them after claiming he came to the room to fix the sink.
He says he fought off Mitchel and killed him in self-defense, which has left his family ‘hanging on by a thread’ but says, ‘I would do it again and thank God I was in that room when he came.’
Gavin Scott Hapgood, 44, says he and his family have been ‘living a nightmare’ since he killed a Caribbean hotel worker on April 13
Hapgood spoke to the media in New York Tuesday with his lawyer before flying to Anguilla where he will appear in a court for a pretrial hearing to face manslaughter charges Thursday
Hapgood and his international attorney Juliya Arbisman traveled to the Caribbean island of Anguilla this week in order to meet his bail conditions.
He had just returned from the island Monday and is set to fly back Thursday for a pretrial hearing.
A toxicology report reveals Mitchel, 27, had cocaine, marijuana and other drugs in his system as well as alcohol when he was killed
But Tuesday Hapgood said he’s faced threats since the killing and it has been frustration dealing with the local judicial process and the local government.
Hapgood was arrested and charged with manslaughter four days after the attack and was held at Her Majesty’s Prison in Anguilla after he was denied bail.
But he was later released on $74,000 bond after his attorney appealed to the High Court in a move that sparked anger among Anguillans.
They demanded that he return to face justice in the British territory of nearly 15,000 people.
‘We want the same thing as the people of Anguilla: for the truth to come out,’ Hapgood said. ‘To that end, I will fully comply with the requirements of the court to ensure that all the facts are presented.
‘A great deal of misinformation and outright falsehoods have surrounded this story, and I am hopeful that when the real story is presented to the public, the people of Anguilla will understand how this tragic event unfolded.’
Arbisman says that she worries about Hapgood’s ‘ability to get a fair trial’ and says despite reports from the island, does not believe he’s received special treatment for being American.
‘We’re urging prosecutors and law enforcement to work with us to ensure a safe, fair trial.’
Mitchel was killed by Gavin Hapgood, 44, (pictured with his family) on April 13 at the resort in Anguilla where he worked. Hapgood killed Mitchel in front of his two daughters
The UBS banker claims the killing was in ‘self-defense to protect the lives of his young daughters and himself’ and is seen here with scratches and what the family say are bite marks
Police say that Hapgood’s two young daughters were in the room at the upscale Malliouhana resort (above) when Mitchel died
Arbisman claimed that prosecutors withheld Mitchel’s toxicology report for two months.
It was revealed Monday the toxicology report showed Mitchel tested positive for cocaine, marijuana and other drugs at the time of his death.
The report also concluded the 27-year-old father-of-one had a blood alcohol level of .181, which is more than double the legal limit in the US and UK.
It’s also been revealed that just a month before his April 13 death, Mitchel was arrested and charged with raping his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child Emily Garlick.
The case was pending at the time of his death but Garlick, who moved from the UK to Anguilla, told the New York Times that the incident was a ‘misunderstanding’.
‘It wasn’t a rape,’ Garlick said. ‘It was a misunderstanding. We had a spat. We had a disagreement. That was it.’
A Hapgood family spokesman said in response to the news: ‘It has been shocking to learn that the man who violently attacked Scott and forced him to defend his life was out on bail for a rape charge and intoxicated at the time on a potentially lethal combination of illegal narcotics.’
Hapgood has returned to the island of Anguilla to face manslaughter charges (pictured stepping off the plane)
Hapgood (pictured during his arrest) was originally denied bail, but a judge later approved his application for $74,000 in bail
Mitchel had been arrested and charged with raping ex-girlfriend and mother of his child Emily Garlick, who later called the incident a ‘misunderstanding’ and said it was not rape
‘It’s certainly the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced,’ Hapgood said. ‘Not just the attack but the way I was treated on the island, the time I spent in jail.’
The family said in a statement in May that Hapgood was ‘fighting for his life’ and was bitten multiple times in the confrontation.
According to the spokesperson, Mitchel showed up to the family’s room ‘unannounced in uniform’ and claimed ‘he was there to fix a broken sink before carrying out his sudden, violent attack on the family’.
‘All that I did was defend my young daughters in front of an attacker that was crazed and desperate and I have to just hold onto that fact,’ Hapgood said.
‘This has been my first experience with legal matters, so I’m very nervous,’ Hapgood added. ‘But I know that my family were victims.’
He thanked his family and legal team for supporting him and for ‘staying so strong throughout this process.’
‘We have a long road ahead of us, but I’m looking forward to someday getting back to the life we once had,’ he said.