BRISBANE, Australia (5 Jun 2009) — An American bubble-wrap salesman has admitted killing his bride of 11 days on their honeymoon scuba diving trip at the Great Barrier Reef. At 10:15 am, David "Gabe" Watson, 32, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and not guilty to murder during his arraignment in the Queensland Supreme Court in Brisbane today. Prosecutor Brendan Campbell accepted Watson's plea, which means he will not go to trial for killing his 26-year-old wife, Christina (Tina), during a Great Barrier Reef scuba diving trip with Mike Ball Dive Expeditions in October 2003, 11 days after the couple got married. Watson has admitted failing to rescue his wife when they were scuba diving together at the Yongala wreck off Townsville. The court heard testimony that Watson, a certified rescue diver, failed to assist her when she encountered problems and started sinking to the seabed. Instead, Waston ascended and returned to the Spoilsport dive boat. Coroner, David Glasgow, testified at an inquest that the evidence showed that Watson had held his wife under water, turned off her air supply until she suffocated, then turned the air back on and let her sink to her death. Prosecutor Brendan Campbell told the court it was inexplicable that Watson left his wife to die. "It must have been clear to the accused (Watson) if he left her she would most certainly die," Campbell said. "It's almost inexplicable he would make the decision to leave her...she was unlawfully killed by a man who had married her 10 days earlier." Tina's death and the six-year fight for justice by her parents attracted worldwide media coverage. Her parents, sister and friend traveled to Australia to attend the proceedings and were in the courtroom when Watson pleaded guilty to killing his wife. | 
