Anguilla seeks Interpol arrest warrant for American Scott Hapgood in manslaughter case

Anguilla authorities declared US banker Scott Hapgood a fugitive after he skipped a court hearing in the death of hotel worker Kenny Mitchel. An Interpol warrant is being sought.

Anguilla pursues Interpol warrant after American skips manslaughter hearing

Authorities in Anguilla have declared American banker Scott Hapgood a fugitive and are seeking an international arrest warrant through Interpol, after he failed to appear at a scheduled pretrial hearing in connection with the death of hotel maintenance worker Kenny Mitchel, abcnews.com reports.

Hapgood, 44, a New York-based banker who lives with his family in Darien, Connecticut, was required under his bail conditions to appear before the court on Monday for the latest pretrial hearing. He did not show up. His legal team sent an email to the presiding magistrate the evening before, stating they had advised Hapgood not to return to Anguilla due to concerns over his personal safety and the fairness of the island's judicial process.

The Anguilla Attorney General's Chambers dismissed those concerns as "totally groundless" in a press release issued Tuesday. "In consequence of this willful defiance of the High Court order, a bench warrant will be sought from the High Court judge for his arrest," the attorney general said. "When this is shortly obtained this will be circulated through Interpol to police forces around the world."

Hapgood's bail bond has been forfeited. The magistrate adjourned the case to a further hearing at which, according to the attorney general, "he will make a final determination of the matter at hand." The attorney general added: "Hapgood's decision to abscond will not allow him to evade justice."

The incident at Malliouhana Resort

The case stems from events on April 13 at the Malliouhana Resort in Anguilla, where Hapgood was staying with his two daughters, aged 12 and 14, during a family vacation. According to a statement released by the Hapgood family, a man in a hotel uniform knocked on the door of their room minutes after the girls had returned to it on their own. The man was later identified by Anguilla police as hotel maintenance worker Kenny Mitchel.

The family states that Mitchel claimed to be there to fix a broken sink, entered the room, and then demanded money from Hapgood. A physical confrontation followed in which Hapgood was, according to the family, "fighting for his life." A security guard eventually restrained Mitchel. Hapgood was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries. He only learned of Mitchel's death while giving his witness statement at the police station, the family said. He has since been charged with manslaughter.

An autopsy report, cited by The Associated Press, found that Mitchel died of positional asphyxia and sustained blunt force injuries to his torso and other areas.

Defense alleges withheld toxicology evidence

Hapgood's international defense attorney, Juliya Arbisman, has accused prosecutors of withholding a toxicology report for more than two months. She alleges the report showed that Mitchel "was not only drunk, with a blood alcohol level that is double the legal limit in the U.S., but also high on cocaine and other drugs when he attacked Scott."

"I worry about Scott's ability to get a fair trial when relevant information is withheld and a persistent narrative has been given to potential jurors, the people of Anguilla, which is based on falsehoods and admissions," Arbisman said at a press conference on August 20. ABC News was unable to obtain confirmation from Anguillian authorities regarding the claims about the toxicology report's contents.

Hapgood had been released in April on a $74,000 bond and had attended previous hearings without incident. Monday's proceeding was expected to mark the conclusion of the preliminary phase, at which the magistrate would determine whether to commit the case to a jury trial.

Political and diplomatic pressure

The case has drawn attention at the highest political levels in the United States. President Donald Trump commented on Twitter last month, stating he would look into the matter and that "something looks and sounds very wrong."

On October 28, Hapgood and Arbisman appeared at a press conference alongside Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, who called on the British government to "exercise authority of its judicial system" and reach a "swift conclusion" on whether the trial in Anguilla should proceed. Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory.

Arbisman has also raised concern about whether Hapgood would be permitted to return to the United States on bond if a jury trial were ordered, citing threats made against him in the past as the basis for the defense team's safety concerns.

Hapgood himself addressed reporters briefly, describing the impact on his family since their return from Anguilla. "We're still in shock that a simple vacation that we looked forward to for so long turned into a nightmare," he said. "This nightmare is my new reality."

ABC News said it reached out to a Hapgood family spokesperson for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Source: Google News AI — Crime