David Watson’s wife Tina died on the first dive of a 10 day trip to the Great Barrier Reef off Townsville in October 2003. Afterwards Mr. Watson went back to the US, but in mid-2008 the coroner found that it was likely that that he had killed her by turning her air off and holding her under water. Late last year prosecutors charged him with murder. It was seen as either a crime of passion or motivated by a small life insurance claim.
Mr. Watson recently went to Brisbane, where he has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Crown prosecutors have accepted the plea and he will not face trial for murder. Instead he has been sentenced to 4.5 years in jail.
The prosecutor told the court the manslaughter plea was accepted because Mr. Watson had failed in his duty as Tina’s dive buddy by not giving her emergency oxygen, that he also allowed her 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. All of which makes you wonder why they didn’t pursue the murder charge.
More details in the Daily Telegraph and News.com.au.
Yeah anyone that dives wont accept what he did as a accident or stupidity. His actions were intentional i would charge him for murder, and just because its in a unfamiliar enviroment and dangerous anyway isnt a reason to go easy on this case.