Posted on 08/29/2019 7:46:57 AM PDT by Kaslin
When UBS banker and father of three Scott Hapgood was arrested and charged with manslaughter in Anguilla, I was one of the first and most vocal observers to sound an alarm. I declared Hapgood an American hero for defending his life and the lives of his young daughters when confronted by an armed attacker inside his hotel room while on vacation.
From day one, it was clear to me that he was no murderer but instead a man forced to do the unthinkable when unexpectedly forced into a literal fight to survive. After all, who in their right mind would believe that an affluent, family-oriented man from Connecticut would decide to take the life of a hotel maintenance worker in Anguilla -- in front of his own children, mind you -- for no reason?
Unfortunately for Hapgood, since that day, he has been victimized repeatedly, and it continues still. He was victimized for the first time when Kenny Mitchel showed up unexpectedly at Hapgood's hotel room, pretending to fix his sink. Once gaining access to the room, Mitchel violently stabbed, bit and robbed Hapgood. Hapgood was victimized for the second time when authorities in Anguilla denied him bail and threw him into prison when he was clearly guilty of nothing more than defending his life and those of his children.
Today, Hapgood is being victimized yet again by being forced to stand trial in a foreign territory with an ill-prepared judiciary, even though a cursory examination of the facts demonstrates that such a process is needless.
In the months since the news broke of Hapgood's ill-fated Anguillan vacation, more facts have come to light that should have exonerated him fully and should have lead to the charges being dropped. Mitchel, the man who attacked him, is hardly the sainted figure that his friends and family members have described to reporters. At the time of the attack on Hapgood, Mitchel was actually out on bail, having been arrested for allegedly raping the mother of his child.
As if a history of charges for violent criminal behavior were not damning enough, a long-overdue toxicology report that was widely shared in the press showed Mitchel was under the influence of a dangerous mix of cocaine, marijuana and other substances.
This should call into question whether Hapgood was even responsible for the death of his attacker or if Mitchel simply died following extensive physical exertion while high on what Hapgood's representatives have described as a "lethal cocktail" of illegal drugs. Despite knowing all of this, authorities in Anguilla appear committed to pursuing charges against the American family man. There has been widespread anger on the island from day one, including public demonstrations following Hapgood's arrest. The move to proceed with legal prosecution, in the face of such clear facts, smacks of political motivation aimed at appeasing a populace out to avenge the death of one of their own.
Also, a fragile economy that depends upon tourism probably feels that it cannot afford to have the island's safety called into question. Better to blame Hapgood than for tourists to avoid traveling to Anguilla out of fear that someone on the staff of the five-star resort where their family is staying could turn out to be a drugged-up armed robber who was just set free from the jailhouse following an arrest for rape.
That Hapgood chose to return even once to Anguilla after his experience there -- let alone multiple times for various legal proceedings -- defies logic. I cannot understand why Hapgood would jeopardize his future freedom and provide even a modicum of legitimacy to a deeply flawed judicial process. This could reportedly take years to play out on the tiny island, which apparently has only a single magistrate and appears largely unprepared to oversee a major trial such as this.
Every return trip to Anguilla for this sad charade makes it harder for Hapgood to credibly challenge the fairness of the process there, which should absolutely be in question. As television stations broadcast his arrival and departure for court appearances and air footage of Hapgood and his team at press conferences and giving media interviews, you can be certain that prosecutors in Anguilla are hanging on every word and likely hoping they can further strengthen their case against him.
Why play into the hands of prosecutors in Anguilla, who seem hellbent on throwing the book at Hapgood rather than doing the right thing and withdrawing the charges immediately? Why play their game at all as opposed to drawing a hard line and refusing to be further victimized?
Hapgood and his legal team have repeatedly stated that everyone wants the same thing: justice. But how could that possibly be true when Anguilla has dealt with him unjustly time and again? Justice is not the same as vengeance, and Hapgood should do all he can to avoid becoming a sacrificial lamb meant to appease a restless Anguillan public. Such an outcome would be the latest in an ongoing series of tragedies.
Also, a fragile economy that depends upon tourism probably feels that it cannot afford to have the island's safety called into question. Better to blame Hapgood than for tourists to avoid traveling to Anguilla out of fear that someone on the staff of the five-star resort where their family is staying could turn out to be a drugged-up armed robber who was just set free from the jailhouse following an arrest for rape.
If they depend on tourism, they should have hushed up the story from the get-go. Attempting to prosecute Hapgood brings everything out into the open that author thinks they want to hide.
“by being forced to stand trial in a foreign territory with an ill-prepared judiciary”
And people actually ask my wife and I why we REFUSE to vacation in ANY foreign country. I don’t even feel that good in Canada anymore. Ditto for several states within our own country.
I set forth outside the United States ONLY for business, and ONLY when I can’t find any other way around it.
America is a huge country. There are beautiful beaches on both coasts, and all sorts of attractions in between. Why anyone would prefer to vacation in a third world hell-hole instead is beyond me.
Maybe it all boils down to saving a buck or two.
I spent years in foreign countries but I had a DoD Passport. Most of the countries I visited were “good” ones. There are a couple places I might consider going to live but I would never “vacation” in a foreign country and be subjected to their laws as a tourist. It’s insanity. You are begging to be taken advantage of.
I hadn’t read about this until now. How they think an American would vacation there now, is nuts. I would worry about the lawlessness allowed in the country at my expense. IMO this has the complete opposite of maintaining tourism then they are thinking.
Than - doh!
When we were first married (and very poor) my wife always said she would love to see the Pyramids. Now we’ve been married a long time and can easily afford it, I love to tease her with “I’ve been checking into ticket prices for....”
Which is followed by: “Hell no I won’t go that place, not even well armed!”
Ditto, here. I have always wanted to see the Sphinx and the Pyramids. But not with the behavior of those in the area. Doubt the trip will come to pass.
I hear you. Decades ago my wife similarly wanted to visit Paris because she is fairly fluent in French. We don’t even joke about it anymore.
After a trip to the Bahamas 25 years ago, I’ve had zero desire to travel to any other “tropical paradise.” I’m not a big fan of beaches and hot weather anyway, but I especially don’t like being at the mercy of a third-world foreign government.
I wonder if bribery is playing a part here. Perhaps the prosecutor is setting Hapgood up for this conversation: “Look here, rich American, this can all go away. But there will be significant expenses on my part. $20,000 should about cover it.”
Why does he keep going BACK for legal proceedings? He should stay here and if they try extradition fight it tooth and nail.
Hapgood better come to his senses and realize that he needs to stay home and dodge all further proceedings. The island’s scurvy politicians and judges would no doubt prefer that to being forced by an angry populace to convict and imprison him unjustly and then have an even larger problem with the US.
“After a trip to the Bahamas 25 years ago, I’ve had zero desire to travel to any other “tropical paradise.””
Our honeymoon was a cruise to the Bahamas 24 years ago. Never felt safe. The relief of getting back on the cruise ship I still remember to this day. I told my wife back then. “Ha back to civilization”
From the local men starring at my wife to the boat ride out to Paradise Island (now called Atlantis) I felt unease.
The boat that should of held no more than 100 had maybe 250 tourist on it and the water was almost level to the top side rail of the boat. No problem right? Well we were in the downstairs of the boat with only on small stairway out. If that sucker started sinking we never would have got out. In the US that boat co would have been fined out of existence.
We are planning our 25th honeymoon cruise to either Alaska or Nova Scotia.
The Pyramids? Egypt? A big disappointment. Dangerous too.
If you expect to see a beautiful ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ or ‘English Patient’ dessert - you won’t. At the pyramids you’ll see big parking lots and busses. There are some camels there if you want to take a ride to get the full Egyptian experience.
Yes, parts of the Nile are beautiful but the water is filthy. Drink only Swiss bottled water, not the local bottled soda or water. It’s not a good idea to walk around at night. You won’t want to anyway. Soon after dark they start burning the trash picked up during the day. The smoke will burn your eyes and throat.
Some interesting sites to see: The City of the Dead is a cemetery where people have broken into the mausoleums to use them at homes. Then there is Luxor. Yes, it’s beautiful but it’s where 62 tourists were hunted down and massacred with machine guns.
“I have always wanted to see the Sphinx and the Pyramids.”
Youtube is your friend. When Dad was stationed in Naples I wanted to climb Mt. Vesuvius & look down into the crater.
Now a drone video accomplishes that and far more (clear down into the bottom of the crater) with ease.
Relocating my collection of bodily atoms into proximity with another collection of inert atoms for the purpose of exciting visual stimuli, all at great minerally derived expense, does not compute for this terrestrial life form.
;^)
Maybe we should blockade Angullia.
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