Moment British pub landlady, 65, is shot dead in front of her husband during trip to Caribbean as gunman opens fire in street before fleeing in car

By MARK DUELL, DEPUTY CHIEF REPORTER (DIGITAL) and PATRICK HARRINGTON, UK NEWS REPORTER and SABRINA PENTY, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:14, 17 July 2026 | Updated: 00:21, 17 July 2026 This is the moment a motorist drove off after fatally shooting a British pub landlady in front of her husband while they were on holiday in the Caribbean. Elaine McGowan, 65, had been standing in the yard of a property in the Trincity area of Trinidad and Tobago with her husband when they were attacked on July 5. Video footage shared by a local crime reporter shows a silver Nissan Tiida stopping, before a person jumps out and walks towards the home. Three shots are then heard being fired in quick succession. The man quickly runs back to the car and it is driven off, following the attack on Mrs McGowan, who ran The Castle Hotel in Hythe, Kent, on the Sunday morning. Trinidad and Tobago Police confirmed to Daily Mail the force had received footage capturing the shooting and that it was forming part of the investigation.   According to her sister Joanne Butcher, Mrs McGowan was outside her godfather's house when the incident happened. She was taken to the nearby Eric Williams Medical Sciences Centre in Champ Fleurs but was pronounced dead upon arrival. Mrs McGowan had been visiting the Caribbean island to carry out business at her father's farm Cocal Retreat, in Manzanilla. Mrs McGowan's husband Ian was with her at the time of the attack. She was the daughter of Caribbean immigrants who had settled in South London in the 1960s. A man is seen stepping out of the car in the Trincity area of Trinidad and Tobago on July 5 The car then drives off (left) following the shooting on the Sunday morning in Trincity Elaine McGowan, 65, who ran a pub in Hythe, Kent, was killed in Trinidad and Tobago on July 5 Mrs McGowan and her husband Ian McGowan, who was with her at the time of the attack No arrests have been made so far, and police have yet to establish a motive. Ms Butcher has urged anyone with information to contact detectives in Trinidad.  Mrs McGowan is survived by her husband and 'many, many family and friends', Ms Butcher said. Tributes have poured in for the former pub landlady, who ran The Castle Hotel from 2019 until last summer. Former colleague Hemang Patel told Kent Online: 'I couldn't believe what happened to her. It's a huge shame. 'To me, she's always been a brilliant person. A lot of people know her. It's been quite shocking this week. I can't believe it's happened to someone, you don't expect it.' Ms Butcher went on to say: 'Elaine, myself and my cousins grew up in South London in the 60's and our parents – all immigrants from Trinidad and Tobago – always believed in the values of family and community. 'We spent every weekend and every holiday together, and I learned at an early age how important family is in good times and in bad.' A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Trinidad and Tobago and are in contact with the local authorities.'