Connecticut man seeks dismissal of wrongful death suit in Anguilla hotel worker killing

Scott Hapgood of Darien faces a wrongful death lawsuit after killing hotel worker Kenny Mitchel in Anguilla. His attorney wants the case dismissed.

Hapgood seeks dismissal of civil suit over Anguilla hotel death

A Connecticut man charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of a hotel worker on the Caribbean island of Anguilla is now seeking dismissal of a civil lawsuit filed against him, abc7ny.com reports.

Scott Hapgood, of Darien, Connecticut, says hotel worker Kenny Mitchel, 27, of Dominica, arrived unannounced at his family's room during an April vacation, demanded money and attacked them. Mitchel died during the confrontation. Hapgood maintains he acted in self-defense.

The estate of Mitchel filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Hapgood in December. According to the suit, Mitchel died after Hapgood pinned him down and applied force and pressure to his neck.

Hapgood's attorney, Michael Conroy, denied nearly all allegations laid out in the estate's lawsuit and filed a request for the civil action to be dismissed. Conroy also requested that damages and attorney's fees be paid by Mitchel's estate.

An autopsy report found that Mitchel died of positional asphyxia and sustained blunt force injuries to his torso and other areas. A Hapgood family spokesman previously stated that a toxicology report showed cocaine was present in Mitchel's system at the time of death.

In January, Hapgood separately filed a lawsuit against Auberge Resorts, the company that operates the upscale Malliouhana resort where the incident took place. In that suit, Hapgood alleges the company continued to employ Mitchel despite his arrest on a rape charge three weeks before his death — an arrest that, according to Hapgood, should have rendered Mitchel ineligible to continue working on Anguilla, a British overseas territory.

Source: Google News AI — Crime