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NEWS DECEMBER 9, 2019 ¦ 5

Anguillan Family Sues Darien Man
Suspected of Vacation Homicide

By Robert Storace

The estate of an Anguillan hotel
worker has sued Scott Hapgood,
the Darien resident and UBS
trader who fought with worker Kenny
Mitchel before he died. Hapgood fac-
es criminal charges in the Caribbean
island over Mitchel’s death.
The case has received national and
international attention as Hapgood said
he will not return to Anguilla, which is
in the British West Indies, because he
doesn’t think he’d get a fair trial.
President Donald Trump weighed
in with an Oct. 14 tweet.
“We will be looking into the Scott Scott Hapgood, right, a U.S. financial adviser charged with killing
a hotel worker while on vacation in Anguilla, and his lawyer Juliya
Hapgood case, and the island of An- Arbisman, left, hold a press conference in New York in August.
guilla,” Trump tweeted. “Something Photo: Bebeto Matthews/AP

looks and sounds very wrong. I know Anguilla will decedent, who was substantially smaller than the
want to see this case be promptly and justly resolved.” defendant,” according to the lawsuit. “The defen-
Questions swirl about the fight between Mitchel dant then pinned plaintiff ’s decedent to the floor,
and Hapgood, who was in Anguilla with his fam- straddled him, and applied force and pressure to the
ily on vacation. Hapgood has said Mitchel initiated decedent’s neck with his elbow across the plaintiff ’s
the confrontation by pulling a knife on him, but the decedent’s neck.”
Mitchel family has said Hapgood was the aggressor The incident occurred in April at the Malliouhana
in the fight. hotel in Anguilla.
According to the New York Times. a revised au- Representing Mitchel’s family is Steven Seligman
topsy based on toxicology tests determined that of Hartford-based Katz & Seligman.
Mitchel died from a lethal dose of cocaine, and not Seligman told the Connecticut Law Tribune
from the altercation with Hapgood. Wednesday that he’d have “no comment until Mr. Hap-
Mitchel’s estate filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday good is served, which will probably be on Monday.”
afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District Representing Hapgood is Juliya Arbisman, a part-
of Connecticut, seeking both punitive and com- ner with New York City-based Diamond McCarthy.
pensatory damages. It brought suit under the Fatal Arbisman did not respond to a request for comment
Accidents Act, Revised Statutes of Anguilla, Chap- Wednesday.
ter F20. The lawsuit also states that Mitchel’s death ¦

meant loss income for his ability to take care of his Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and
minor child, Mylie Mitchel. analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow
“Soon after the struggle began, the defendant him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at
completely and thoroughly restrained the plaintiff ’s 203-437-5950.

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