Sunday, June 9, 2002
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Sunday, June 9, 2002 |
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Witnesses: Watson menaced wife with guns, physical abuse By JOHN
MUNFORD
Jim Watson twice pulled guns on his wife Beverley at a New Year's Eve party in the late 1980s and once pulled her out of her mother's house by her neck according to witnesses testifying in his murder trial which began last week. Thursday afternoon, Donna Spainhour testified she stumbled upon Jim and Beverley in the garage during a party at the Watson's south Fayette home. Jim had one hand around Beverley's neck and the other propping up a handgun pointed at her head. Jim later withdrew the gun and went into the house, Spainhour said. Previously in the trial, Debbie White testified that at that same party Jim pointed a shotgun at Beverley's head after the couple had an argument. White said Watson pointed the shotgun and said, "Will you talk to me now?" before lowering the weapon and walking out of the bedroom where Beverley and Debbie White were talking. Through Thursday, Spainhour and White were the only two witnesses testifying that they saw Watson intimidate his wife with a weapon. By questioning other witnesses, defense attorney Lee Sexton pointed out that it was not unusual for a police officer to own firearms. Sexton also asked Spainhour and White why they never called police. "I was asked not to," Spainhour said, though it was unclear who asked her not to call authorities to report the alleged incident. White had previously testified that the decision whether or not to call authorities was Beverley's. Some witnesses have testified that Beverley told them of a threat from Jim that if she ever called police on him, they wouldn't believe her since he was a police officer. But Beverley Watson did once call police to report that her husband was threatening her, in August 1994, according to testimony in the trial. Capt. Bryan Woodie of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said Thursday afternoon that 911 records indicate that Dep. Steve Borders was dispatched to the couple's home to investigate the complaint. Jim Watson was not arrested that evening. According to the 911 report of the incident, Beverley "made reference to her husband being in the house," Woodie said. The report also indicates the reporting officer found no gun at the residence, Woodie confirmed. Other witnesses have said at the time of the incident Jim Watson was under a restraining order to be away from Beverley that was granted by a judge after she filed for divorce from him. Beverley later dropped the divorce complaint after the couple reconciled later in the year, several witnesses have testified. In another incident, Jim Watson is said to have pulled his wife out of her mother's house while grabbing her by the throat. Cecile Winton, 75, said she witnessed the incident from her kitchen window. Winton testified that she saw Jim Watson pull his wife onto the carport of Alyce Callaway's Riverdale home. Winton said that Jim Watson had both his hands around his wife's throat when she witnessed the incident. "They wrestled around a little bit...," Winton told the jury. Defense Attorney Lee Sexton questioned whether Winton, who is 75, actually saw Jim Watson during that incident. He asked her if she might instead have seen one of Beverley's brothers, Drew, choking her and not Jim Watson. "He (Jim Watson) doesn't favor Andy," Winton said, testifying that she used to know Drew by the name Andy when he was growing up. "I've knew [sic] Andy since he was a child, and he doesn't favor Jim. "I seen [sic] him pull her out of the kitchen..." Winton said. "And I seen him try to strangle her." Defense attorney Lee Sexton said that his client plans to take the stand to defend himself of the murder charge and answer various allegations when the defense gets underway sometime next week
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