Anguilla Group Slams US National For Skipping Court Date In Manslaughter Case

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, TUES. Nov. 12, 2019: A local Anguilla group on Monday evening slammed US-born,Connecticut-banker, Gavin Scott Hapgood, for skipping his Nov. 11th court date on the British Caribbean island on Monday.

“Hapgood just told the court system and all of Anguilla ‘Shut the Fuck Up,’ Unity for Justice, which states it is “a group of individuals fighting to see justice for the slaying of Mylez ‘Kenny’ Mitchell an employee of a luxury resort on Anguilla by Scott Gavin Hapgood,” stated in a Facebook post.

“Gavin Scott Hapgood is a fugitive from justice and should immediately be entered into Interpol,” the post added.

Hapgood is charged with the death of hotel worker Kenny Mitchel. Hapgood has said Mitchel came to his family’s hotel room back in April saying he needed to fix a sink. Once inside, he claims Mitchel reportedly pulled a knife and tried to rob him. Both reportedly got into a physical altercation and Mitchel later died.

Hapgood, 44, was scheduled to show up in court in Anguilla on Monday to begin the final segment of a series of sealed hearings known as a preliminary inquest, which was expected to last one week. At the conclusion, he would learn whether his manslaughter case would go to trial and be heard by a jury.

Hapgood’s spokesman Jamie Diaferia, of Infinite Global, said  the hearing would proceed without Hapgood, who has a local attorney present.

“It has become progressively apparent that Scott would not receive a fair trial in Anguilla,” Diaferia was quoted as saying.

Hapgood had reportedly offered to appear by video link, which was rejected while his legal team had reportedly tried to obtain guarantees from Anguillan authorities that he would be protected upon his return and permitted to remain out on bail.

If Hapgood’s bail was revoked, he’d likely be incarcerated for years while awaiting trial.

“So is this how it works in America?,” Unity for Justice asked in a post last night. “One doesn’t like the rules of the court they can decide they won’t appear and there are no consequences?”

Hapgood has maintained his innocence, saying he was acting in self-defense. An autopsy has revealed that Mitchel had high levels of drugs in his system. A Medical Examiner’s report, obtained by The New York Times, said that Mitchel had a lethal dose of cocaine in his system at the time, and that he died from that and not from Hapgood’s actions.

Yesterday’s court appearance was to determine if a jury should hear the case.

The Hapgoods have recently taken a more active role in publicizing their side of the story in recent weeks.

Last month, the case caught US President Donald Trump’s attention who sent out a tweet that seemed to be a direct response to a segment that ran on Fox & Friends.

“Will be looking into the Scott Hapgood case, and the Island of Anguilla,” Trump wrote in October. “Something looks and sounds very wrong. I know Anguilla will want to see this case be properly and justly resolved!”

United States Sen. Richard Blumenthal also called on Anguilla to provide safe passage to Hapgood for his next court hearing.

Last night, Unity for Justice also slammed Senator Blumenthal for supporting a “fugitive. “Is this how it works in the US? Garner enough political support and you can simply refuse to show up for trial?,” the group asked.