David Gabe Watson jailed for killing wife on honeymoon diveAN American man has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after admitting to killing his wife while scuba diving on their honeymoon in north Queensland. David Gabriel Watson, 32, pleaded guilty today in the Supreme Court in Brisbane to the manslaughter of his wife, Christina, while scuba diving on their honeymoon in north Queensland in October 2003.Justice Peter Lyons sentenced Watson to four-and-a-half years in jail, suspended after 12 months.He had been charged with murder, to which he pleaded not guilty, but Crown prosecutors accepted the plea to the lesser charge, meaning he will not face trial.Christina's father Tommy Thomas said his family was in disbelief that the murder charge was not maintained."I'm sure that the entire Australian nation as well as our country back home shares in the shock at what we've just seen, because it's a total injustice ... it's ludicrous," he said."Today he (Watson) was allowed to take the easy way out."This is in no way, shape or form a beginning to get justice for our daughter."It's an embarrassment to everyone involved."We believe that Gabe Watson murdered our daughter."Prosecutor Brendan Campbell told the court the manslaughter plea was accepted on the basis that Watson had failed in his duty as Tina's dive buddy by not giving her emergency oxygen. Mr Campbell said Watson also allowed Tina to sink to the ocean floor without making any serious attempt to retrieve her, and that he did not inflate her buoyancy vest or remove weights from her belt. "He virtually extinguished any chance of her survival,'' Mr Campbell said. Watson married Tina in a ceremony described by her friends as her dream wedding in Birmingham, Alabama, on October 11, 2003. Eleven days later, a dive instructor found her lying on the bottom of the ocean during a week-long Great Barrier Reef scuba diving trip off the coast of Townsville. A coronial inquest into her death heard a fellow diver saw Gabe Watson engaged in an underwater "bearhug'' with his petite wife, after which the bubble-wrap salesman headed for the surface while his wife fell to the ocean floor. Coroner David Glasgow formally charged Watson with murder last June and the American voluntarily returned to Australia in February. The Supreme Court was today told Watson was an experienced diver who had been trained in rescuing panicked divers. Watson told police Tina had knocked his mask off and then had sunk too quickly for him to retrieve her. But the Crown rejected this explanation, saying it would not have been possible for her to sink rapidly. Tina's father, her sister Alanda and friend, Amanda Phillips, flew from Alabama to Australia this week to be in court for Watson's sentencing.
firstly I am lost for words no hang on I know what I want to say however I properly will get in trouble for posting it in short I am about this Fuming Once again Australia demonstrates to the world that it's a haven for shit. I wonder what old mate would have got in the US had he done it over there?<http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25590576-421,00.html>What Is A Life Worth?
I am always at a loss for words when this type of crap happens.Phil, It could have gone the same way here. There seems to be no rhyme or reason behind the justice system other than lawyers win/loss count!
There really is not enough information given, for example, what is his experience level, What was found to be the condition of her equipment, What visibility conditions was the "eye witness" dealing with ?
Missed that when I scanned
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