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Man Kills Wife on Honeymoon: David Gabriel Watson Sentenced

by Amy Judd | June 5, 2009 at 08:41 am

2897 views | 35 Recommendations | 6 comments

David Gabriel Watson, the Amercian man who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his wife, was sentenced today for her death, but will only serve one year in jail. Known world wide as the man who killed his wife on their honeymoon, David Watson was anxious to put the six year ordeal in his past.

David and his wife Christina were on their honeymoon in Queensland in 2003 on a scuba diving trip, and had only been married eleven days, when Christina drowned. Her body was later discovered on the ocean floor.

David received a suspended sentence, meaning he will serve only one year of the four and a half year sentence. He was set to stand trial for murder at the Queensland Supreme Court, which meant he could receive life in prison, but he then accepted the guilty plea for the lesser charge of manslaughter.

The manslaughter plea was accepted because Watson was guilty of not giving his wife emergency oxygen, despite the fact that he was trained to rescue panicked divers.

Prosecutor Brendan Campbell said:

Watson allowed his wife to sink to the ocean floor without attempting to retrieve her, and he did not inflate her buoyancy vest or remove weights from her belt.

"He virtually extinguished any chance of her survival," Campbell said.

Christina's father, Tommy Thomas said his family was devastated by the ruling.

"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," Thomas said. "It's an embarrassment to everyone involved. We believe that Gabe Watson murdered our daughter."

Christina's family wanted justice for their daughter.

The couple married in Birmingham on October 11, 2003 and it was only eleven days later that Christina was found on the bottom of the ocean, and David said her death was an accident.
He turned himself in last month however, and he has since remarried.

A fellow diver told Glasgow's inquest last year he saw Watson engaged in an underwater "bear hug" with his petite wife, after which he headed to the surface while she sank to the ocean floor.

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Barbara McPherson

at 09:00 on June 5th, 2009

This sure looks like a case of justice denied.

Roy C

at 16:26 on June 5th, 2009

Yes, that sentence is way too light.

Blue Crush

at 16:57 on June 5th, 2009

Christina's family says the sentence is an embarrassment to Australia. I agree.

Coroner David Glasgow found that Watson likely killed his 26-year-old wife by turning off her air supply and holding her in an "underwater bear hug" until she was dead.
Gabe claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance money from her death, citing "mental anguish."

Tina Watson is buried in Pelham. Her remains were relocated in 2007 to a different lot purchased by Gabe. After being informed by her family that flowers and gifts were repeatedly vandalised or disappeared from the grave site, even when chained down, Sergeant Flinn investigated and videotaped Gabe removing them with bolt cutters. Gabe moved into the house that he had inherited from Tina after her death and has since remarried.

marelena (not verified)

at 17:40 on June 5th, 2009

Pathetic. I feel so much for the Thomas family.

After following this case since it happened (and the evidence, which was clear - re witnesses), can't help but think the "Australian justice system" is juvenile and immature, to have let him get away with murder. With the perp being already re-married (and never having shown any remorse), and he can get out of jail in a year with a plea deal (to be back to his new wife in a year, who he may already have known when he killed Tina)???, maybe all our American murderers will move to Australia? That would save us a lot of $$$ in prisons. A possible help to our economy.

My heart goes out to the Thomas family. They know the truth and have suffered the greatest loss.

chris m (not verified)

at 19:05 on June 5th, 2009

I hope Gabe DIES at the end of meat hook on a piano wire noose!

Melissa S (not verified)

at 19:56 on June 5th, 2009

It's such a shame when KILLERS get off so easily. He knows he did it and so does the rest of the world. How could Australia let him get off so easily??? Total injustice. All we can really do now is hope that this killer has a nervous breakdown someday soon. After all, he has to live with what he did for the rest of his life, not that he deserves to live. Still, all of this does not bring back Tina to her family. He may not be showing any remorse now...but he will crack down someday. He made his own death sentence for himself. Reminds me of the OJ case....

My heart and prayers go out to the Thomas family and Tina. Justice will be served someday.

His new wife must have lived under a huge rock in the last four and a half years....how could she marry this monster?!!! She should have ran the other way the minute she learned what his name was!

I wish the Thomas family all the best in getting their justice that they deserve.