Husband who 'savagely' beat wife he 'left for dead' is jailed for 27 years

Violent wife beater Paul Watts, 36, was today handed the sentence at Portsmouth Crown Court following the “vicious” attempted murder of Emma Watts, 37, at their Cinderford Close home in Paulsgrove on October 31 just after 3pm.

Mrs Watts was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital after being left “fighting for her life” following her drunk husband’s “relentless” attack when delivering “punch after punch after punch” having been ordered to leave the family home. Watts denied attempted murder during a trial in March but was found guilty by jurors.

Watts, dressed in a white suit jacket and wearing a black tie, was also given a five-year extended sentence at today’s hearing after being deemed “dangerous” and a future risk of violence. He was motionless as the sentence was passed in front of his “brave” wife who had attended the hearing alongside family and friends in the packed public gallery.

The “catalyst” for the violence took place when Mrs Watts, accompanied by her best friend for support when returning to the property, asked her husband to leave the house and warned him she had police on “speed dial”. The court heard she had grown weary of his drinking and cocaine indulgence and no longer saw their house as safe.

After being grabbed and dragged back into the house, Mrs Watts was subjected to a sustained attack of between 10-13 minutes that could have resulted in her dying but for officers who treated her upon arrival, the court heard.

Judge Michael Bowes KC said of Watts’ “vicious” assault: “You attacked her savagely and repeatedly with your fists. Having knocked her out you stood over her counting…one…two…three.”

Watts was seen walking down the road “smirking” before calling a plumber at 3.22pm. “You left Emma bleeding and unconscious in the house having dumped her unconscious body on the kitchen table. You made no effort to help her or to summon help. In my judgement you left her for dead,” judge Bowes said.

The judge said Mrs Watts’ injuries, which left her in a coma for weeks after suffering a traumatic brain injury, were “life threatening”. She suffered a skull fracture, fractures to the cheekbone, eye sockets, jaw, breastbone, ribs and part of her spine. She suffered bruising to the neck, hand and fingers.

The court heard that prior to the beating, Watts had removed the door bell video so there was “no evidence” of the attack, offering an insight into the calculated nature of the defendant according to the judge. He described Watts as being a “high risk of serious harm” in the future.

Earlier in the hearing, a statement read out on behalf of Mrs Watts revealed she had no memory of the incident. “I do not remember anything that happened as I suffered a traumatic brain injury," she said, before adding: “I presume he did this to me as I asked him to leave.”

Mrs Watts said her husband was “jealous” during their relationship and revealed she was stunned by the “horrible” violence inflicted on her which she is still recovering from - with her only being released from hospital in February. “I didn’t think he would ever do this,” she said but added: “I’m not broken, I survived.”

Mrs Watts' sister Penny Allen said she was initially told her sister had been murdered and revealed her “shock” as she “prepared to say my final goodbyes” and plan for her funeral. The victim’s mum, Linda Allen, added: “I felt sick. All I could think was that she was going to die.”

Meanwhile, Watts revealed his sorrow in a letter to his wife and the judge, read out to the court, in which he admitted he was “profusely sorry for all the pain and trauma”. He wrote: “It was inexcusable. Emma did not deserve any of it. Nothing I can say will make it better. Emma was a loving wife, I let her down. She was a great wife, mum and step-mum.”

Watts went on to admit he should have got help for his drink and drug problems and said “violence is never the answer” before adding: “I will have to live with what I have done. I am truly sorry.”

Watts was also in breach of a six-month sentence suspended for two years for assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he smashed his wife’s head against a bathroom wall in December 2023.

Watts was jailed for a total of 27 years after the judge had decided against imposing a life sentence. Watts will serve two-thirds of his custodial term in jail before he will be considered for release by the parole board, with the extended five-year licence period taking the whole term up to 32 years.