TOWNSVILLE, Australia (2 Feb 2009) — An Australian court delayed the trial of an American man accused of drowning his wife during a scuba diving trip in the Great Barrier Reef after lawyers on both sides said they needed more time. David Gabriel Watson, 31, of Birmingham, Alabama, had been ordered by the judge to appear Tuesday to face murder charges, but he failed to show up. He was accused of drowning Christina Mae Watson on Oct. 22, 2003, while the couple was diving off the coast of Queensland state, 11 days after their wedding. A local coroner said there was sufficient evidence to charge Watson with her death. The indictment triggered extradition proceedings to return the man to Australia, a process that can take months. His whereabouts were not immediately clear. "I have been in contact with Mr. Watson," attorney Rohan Armstrong told the court Tuesday. "We need more time to take further instructions on the matter." The prosecution also requested a delay and the matter was adjourned to a later date, which was not announced. Watson faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted of murder. He said in videotaped police interviews that his wife started having trouble a few minutes into their dive and that he decided to go for help rather than attempt a rescue himself. One of the dive leaders pulled the woman to the surface, but efforts to resuscitate her failed. During the coroner's inquest, police testified that they initially thought the death was an accident. However, they became suspicious when Watson, an experienced diver, changed details of his account. | 
