North Carolina Pair Draw Parallels Between Their Anguilla Ordeal and Manslaughter Trial

An elderly American couple who endured a violent home invasion on the Caribbean island say they now understand the self-defense argument being made by a Connecticut banker facing homicide charges.

North Carolina Pair Draw Parallels Between Their Anguilla Ordeal and Manslaughter Trial

An elderly American couple who endured a violent home invasion on the Caribbean island say they now understand the self-defense argument being made by a Connecticut banker facing homicide charges.

Craig and Judy Pauly, both 76, were renting an apartment on Anguilla in February when a masked intruder burst through their door. The armed man discharged a round into the flooring before holding a gun to Craig's head and demanding money. He handed over $200, then struck at the robber as the latter moved toward the exit.

"That weapon stayed aimed at my head throughout," Craig recounted. "Despite my age, I felt compelled to respond."

Initially, the retirees viewed the encounter as an anomaly. Their outlook shifted upon reading about Scott Hapgood, a 44-year-old financier from Darien who stands accused of manslaughter following the death of hotel employee Kenny Mitchel during a confrontation at the Malliouhana resort.

The Paulys identified a striking parallel. Had Craig succeeded in wresting the firearm from the intruder and using it, he speculated, authorities might have treated him as a perpetrator rather than a victim.

"Before learning about this banker, I assumed our experience was unique," Craig explained. "What frightens me is the possibility that grabbing the gun and firing back — clearly in self-defense — might not be interpreted that way here."

The couple also faulted investigators for their handling of the aftermath. Officers placed them in separate rooms and questioned each for approximately sixty minutes, leaving the Paulys feeling suspected rather than supported. The gunman fled and was never apprehended, they believe.

"The questioning felt accusatory," Craig remarked. "I sensed disbelief on their part — almost as though they suspected me of inventing the entire episode."

Attempts to obtain an official report on the Paulys' case were unsuccessful. A representative for the Royal Anguillan Police Force refused to comment on either incident, directing questions to senior officials who did not reply.

The Hapgood matter has fueled boycott calls against the island's tourism sector, with critics targeting the resort where the fatal struggle occurred.

Source: The Hour

Source: Google News AI — Crime