A Kamloops man who drunkenly choked out his wife during a family barbecue last spring has avoided jail, and he will be allowed to serve his house arrest sentence at home with the victim.
Robert Scott Watson, 50, pleaded guilty in Kamloops provincial court Thursday to one count of assault.
Court heard Watson was drunk on May 19, 2023, when he became enraged with his wife during a family barbecue.
Crown prosecutor Monica Fras said Watson was upset with the way his wife was disciplining their daughter.
“There was some tense words between the two, which led to a physical altercation,” she said.
“He began hitting her and pushing her to the ground. Once on the ground, he began to choke her. She lost consciousness.”
Fras said the woman came to and was choked out again. When she woke up a second time, Watson was standing over her threatening to kill her.
Police were called to the family’s Brocklehurst home and Watson was arrested. The couple’s four children were present during the attack.
Watson has a criminal record including two previous convictions for assault. Neither instance involved domestic violence. He served a 30-day jail sentence in each case.
Defence lawyer Jeff Maxwell said Watson’s drinking increased after he stopped taking his medication in 2018, and it really picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic. Court heard Watson has taken counselling and remained sober since the incident.
Maxwell said Watson told him a short time after his arrest that he wanted to take responsibility but he didn’t want to go to jail. He said he wanted to serve a house arrest sentence at home with his wife.
“I told Mr. Watson, ’The only way you will ever get what you are seeking is if you go to counselling, you go to treatment, you do all the programming you could possible do, you go to Alcoholics Anonymous or whatever group you want to go to — if you take it very seriously and you rectify your ways,’” he said.
“He had already started at that point. I don’t think I was the one who put that in his brain.”
Watson said he’s back on his medication and looking to keep his life on track.
“I enjoy being sober,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to think clearly again — I haven’t thought clearly in probably the last five or six years."
Watson’s bail conditions were loosened in September with his wife’s consent to allow him to return home, but not full-time. He has been spending days at home and nights at a relative’s house. Court heard his behaviour has been very good, with no issues reported.
Kamloops provincial court Judge Roy Dickey agreed to place Watson on a conditional sentence order that will allow him to serve his time at home with his wife.
Dickey said it’s clear to him that Watson is “extremely remorseful” for his actions on the day of the attack.
“He’s insightful in that he’s aware of what has caused this and what he needs to do to ensure that he doesn’t find himself back in the situation he was on that day,” he said.
Watson will spend the next six months on a conditional sentence order with conditions requiring he abide by a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and immediately leave the presence of his wife upon her request. He will also be prohibited from possessing or consuming drugs or alcohol.
Watson will spend an additional six months on probation and will be prohibited from possessing firearms for five years.
