A BRIT woman has pleaded for the freedom of her father-in-law who has been denied bail after allegedly attempting to drown her.
Mark Gibbon, 62, has been accused of attempting to murder Jasmine Wyld, 33, by repeatedly holding her head underwater in a pool during a vacation in Florida.
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Mr Gibbon, a wealthy lighting engineer, is claimed to have struck a relationship with Ms Wyld – who was once married to his son Alex.
Both of them have denied the claims.
Ms Wyld, who is now back in the UK, broke her silence to speak about the Brit grandad, whom she described as her “best friend”, The Times reports.
Speaking to a court in Florida via video link, she said: “I have always felt very safe around Mark and him being around my two children.
“This has only come as a bit of a shock to me … I can only sing his praises for what a fantastic grandfather he is.”
Ms Wyld previously told prosecutors she “could not breathe” and feared “she would drown”, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s office.
It was her nine-year-old daughter who is said to have leapt into the pool to try to “save” her mother.
Police reports said Mr Gibbon‘s alleged attack left her with scratches and bruising.
The Brit grandad from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and two counts of battery.
Ms Wyld spoke in favour of a motion submitted by Mr Gibbon’s lawyer, calling for his release from custody.
However, a Judge denied the request and said that Ms Wyld’s testimony contradicts the sworn statement she gave on the day of the alleged drowning.
They added: “Quite frankly, her testimony is of great concern to this court.”
Officials at Polk County Prison, where Mr Gibbon continues to remain in custody, previously refused to comment on his detention conditions for safety reasons.
Neighbours in Beaconsfield described Ms Wyld as the Brit granddad’s “girlfriend” – and said she was often seen at his £800,000 semi-detached home.
One neighbour told The Sun: “Everybody is shocked by this.”
Another, who said she was Wyld’s friend, recalled: “Jasmine used to stay here a lot with the children. But I don’t want to say much more because she is a friend of mine.”
Family insiders claim tensions erupted years ago when Gibbon’s son Alex allegedly found Wyld in his father’s bed.
“About four years ago there was a big fall-out,” one source the Daily Mail.
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“Alex went up the stairs and found Jasmine in his father’s bed. They had a massive row. It’s torn the family apart… there’s been so much bad blood between Alex and his dad.”
Alex, 32, and Wyld separated in 2021 but share two young children.
The feud deepened when Alex was jailed for driving an £80,000 Porsche Cayenne into his father during a public row.
He was released six months ago, and father and son no longer speak.
Gibbon, who also runs hairdressing business Sage Hairdressing, allegedly pushed Wyld underwater during the Florida row after telling her she was not the main beneficiary of his will.
He reportedly admitted pushing her but denied trying to kill her, claiming they had both been drinking, she slapped him, and the situation escalated.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said: “We expect vacationers to behave while they visit with us, just as we expect our life-long 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.”
If convicted on all charges, Gibbon could face up to 20 years in jail.
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