Heather Wright/The Independent

Jessica Soney says she will never be able to forgive Nathan Watson for killing their two month-old son.

The Corunna mother poured out her anguish in a Sarnia Court Tuesday during the 21 year-old’s sentencing hearing.

Crown Attorney David Rows is asking Justice Deborah Austin to consider up to eight years in prison for Watson’s role in Liam’s death. Watson’s lawyer, Ken Marley is looking for a conditional two year sentence to be served in the community.

Soney told the court Aug. 20, 2019 was just like any other day. She called her friend, got the kids up and then headed out the door. But the normal day turned tragic when she got a call from her partner saying the baby was limp and blue.

Watson first told police he left the child with a sibling while he went to make a bottle and returned to find him lifeless. Later he said he’d had his foot on a bouncy chair the baby was sitting in, shaking it. Later, he admitted he’d actually picked up the crying Liam, shook him and asked him what he wanted.

Soney tried to read a victim impact statement she had written at the virtual hearing, but soon broke down in sobs.

“You have broken my heart. You’ve broken my children’s heart. And now I have to live in fear my children will always be in harm’s way, with the fear of my children and having to live with the resentment and the fear myself of being trusting anyone,” she cried out.

She wasn’t able to continue, so Rowes carried on, reading the statement which added Soney would never be able to trust anyone to care for her children alone.

“You made me feel helpless and like a failure of a mother or not being able to protect my son.”

Watson’s lawyer suggested his client was also in emotional turmoil over the death of his son. And he says a psychological report showed Watson “was experiencing significant situational and psycho social stress, lacking in impulse control, coping skills in support,” when he was left alone with Liam. “He was quite likely overwhelmed and in a state of emotional turmoil.”

Marley says Watson and Soney’s relationship moved quickly and children soon followed. That became overwhelming as he worked a night shift to support the family and often cared for the kids when he came home.

Marley said that is “very challenging for any young person – particularly challenging for a young person who already has the emotional health and developmental challenges, which Nathan Watson clearly did.”

Marley says evidence from an OPP officer who covertly befriended Watson in an attempt to figure out what really happened, shows the accused was remorseful about his son’s death.

But Rowes disputed that, saying it took Watson three attempts to come out with the truth of how his own son died. “It was only when the accused was arrested that we approach the version of events that most resembles the truth,” Rowes said, noting it was a “convoluted route to the truth.”

Rowes believes the sentence should reflect that a vulnerable child died at the hands of his parent.

Liam “was two months of age at the time of his death and the accused had that a duty of care to this child – to care for him and protect him – and that he failed and that he breached the trust of Liam Watson.”

And while Watson’s lawyer pointed out he was highly unlikely to reoffend, Rowes told Austin she needs to consider the child’s death had “tremendous impact” on both Soney, her children, and Liam.

“Liam was two months old, he was not able to experience the joys that life has to offer; growing up, going to school, finding a partner having children of his own. His life was cut short after only two months.”

Watson also addressed Justice Austin saying “I wish I could take the pain away. I wish I could just hold on to it all. I guess nobody else should be able to have had that pain for me – one who did it. I wish I never had never, you know, that it never happened. I miss my son very much.”
Austin will review the legal arguments, the victim impact statement and Watson’s own words as she considers a sentence. She’ll deliver it Jan. 5.