Gabe Watson to go to trial in February 2012 in Alabama charged with murdering wife Tina

Tuck Thompson -

"HONEYMOON killer'' Gabe Watson will go on trial in February 2012 in his hometown of Birmingham Alabama on charges he murdered his former bride Tina during a scuba dive trip off Townsville in 2003.

Prosecutors claim Watson plotted the underwater slaying in Alabama to collect insurance money and asphyxiated Tina Thomas, 26, on the SS Yongala by turning off her oxygen and abandoning her.

Circuit Court Judge Tommy Nail set the trial date of February 13 2012 following a brief hearing with Watson's lawyers and Alabama state prosecutor Don Valeska. Watson is free on bond pending trial.

A Birmingham grand jury indicted Watson on murder charges in October 2010, shortly before the bubblewrap salesman was deported from Australia.

Tina's father, Tommy Thomas, has campaigned for eight years to get Watson in front of a jury.

Queensland declined to prosecute Watson for murder, despite the findings of a coronial inquest, and allowed him to plead guilty to manslaughter in 2009.

Watson served 18 months in an Ipswich prison and was released in November 2010.

Watson's family and lawyers say he is being hounded for being no more than a flawed dive "buddy.''

Watson, a married Kim Lewis, a Tina Thomas lookalike and high school friend, shortly before he was imprisoned. They live in the same suburban home Watson bought with Tina shortly before their honeymoon.

More than a dozen Queenslanders have been asked to appear as prosecution witnesses, including two Queensland Police detectives who worked years to build the case against Watson.

Prosecutors claim Watson intended to collect from two insurance policies on Tina's life: a work policy that would have paid $165,000 and a travel policy that potentially could have netted him millions of dollars if he had won a lawsuit.

Mr Thomas said Watson asked his daughter to maximise her work policy and make him sole beneficiary shortly before the wedding but, unknown to Watson, she didn't do it.

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