A heavy metal fan who frogmarched his wife into a loch and held her head under the water as she fought for her life has been jailed for four years. Catriona Watson-Brown knew something bad was going to happen to her because her husband always played heavy metal music when he was angry.
Former BBC surveyor Paul Brown was blasting out loud rock music in his workshop, shortly before summoning his wife with a single finger to the banks of Loch Tummel. Mrs Watson-Brown, who met her husband while working in publications at the BBC, thought she was going to die during the horror attack at the beauty spot.
Brown, now an estate worker and heating engineer, admitted endangering his asthmatic wife's life by holding her under the surface of the loch. Perth Sheriff Court was told that Brown was a "Jekyll and Hyde" character who would subject his wife to silent moods for days at a time.
Fiscal depute Lora Apostalova told the court: "They live in an isolated cottage on the north bank of Loch Tummel. There are extensive gardens leading to the loch side. They have been in a relationship for 28 years and married for 25.
"She met the accused at the BBC where he worked as a surveyor. She described their relationship as good and said he was a kind, loving and generous man. But she said he has moments where he loses his temper and becomes nasty and malicious.
"She compared him to a Jekyll and Hyde character. She knows he listens to heavy rock music when he feels riled about something.
"There was an argument about her sister's birthday arrangements. When the accused found out arrangements had been made without consulting him, he made cutting remarks about her putting family before him."
The fiscal depute told the court that the incident led to a week-long 'huff' with the couple leading virtually separate lives and ignoring each other completely. She said there was an email exchange about financial matters and then she could hear Brown outside while she was ordering an online shopping delivery.
"The music was playing loudly," Ms Apostalova said. "He was listening to heavy rock music. The accused did not say anything. He beckoned her with one finger. "She was nervous but went to talk to him. She followed around four metres behind him.
"He checked she was following. He walked to the water's edge. She caught up with him. Both were facing out to the centre of the loch. He took a tight hold of her arm and started walking purposefully out into the water.
"He remained calm. She asked what he was doing. They were already knee deep in the water. She was very frightened. He continued to pull her into the water. He took hold of both her arms. She struggled and tried to shake him off but he was too strong.
"He pushed her backwards. He pushed her head completely under the water so she could not breathe. She was petrified and believed she was going to die. She struggled as hard as she could but he was too strong for her.
"He pulled her up and said 'do you want to live or die?' He repeated it several times. She tried to say 'live' but she could not get the words out. He held her upright for ten seconds before pushing her back in the same fashion.
"He said 'if you want to live with me, you better behave yourself.'" The court was told that she lost her glasses in the loch and her footwear came off while she submerged and was seen floating away.
"The accused was crying. He was drunk. Mrs Watson-Brown returned to the house shocked and soaking wet. She said 'he tried to drown me.' "She used her inhaler to get her breathing under control. She explained that she thought she was going to die.
"The accused seized her by the shoulders and pulled her close and bit her twice on the cheek. There was clear indentation of top and bottom teeth."
Brown told his wife he hated her and then made further threats about hurting her with a knife. He drew a finger across her throat. Brown, of Strathtummel, Perthshire, admitted attacking his wife to her injury and the danger of her life at their home on 18 April last year.
He admitted pulling her by the arm into Loch Tummel and pushing her into the water and under the surface, before biting her face. He also admitted threatening to kill his wife on 18 April, and assaulting a teenage girl by striking her head to her injury on a separate occasion.
Solicitor Scott Jones, defending, said: "There are two sides to every story."
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