Wife Made Cheating Husband Take Lie Detector Tests; Now He's Accused of Her Murder

A court heard testimony on Tuesday in the murder trial of ex-RAAF pilot Robert Crawford, who is accused of killing his wife, Frances, and staging her death as a tragic accident involving a ride-on mower. The prosecution alleges Crawford strangled his wife on July 29, 2024, at their Upper Lockyer property and then manipulated the scene, including falsifying text messages, to conceal his crime.

During the trial, evidence emerged suggesting marital discord, with one of Crawford's alleged mistresses, Emily Renshaw, testifying that Crawford described his wife as emotionally abusive. "She would call him a narcissist," Renshaw told the court, adding that Crawford reported his wife would act cold and initiate arguments in front of their children. Crawford also confided that he felt unhappy, trapped, and isolated in the marriage but was reluctant to leave due to family and financial considerations, as well as concerns about his church community.

The court has heard that Frances Crawford closely monitored her husband's finances and communications and required him to undergo regular polygraph tests as part of their marital agreement. Another woman, Sarah Goodsell, a friend of Crawford's, testified that Frances Crawford had suspected her of an affair. Messages shown to the jury indicated Crawford's belief that he could "beat" the polygraph tests.

Elizabeth Calabria, a friend of Frances Crawford, testified that Frances had expressed a loss of hope regarding reconciliation, even wishing her husband would fail a polygraph test, which was a condition of their attempted reconciliation. Peter Wuttke, a pilot and acquaintance of Crawford's from the RAAF, stated that Crawford had texted him on the night of his wife's death, mentioning his wife's instruction to bring the mower under cover, suggesting an understanding that she had moved the mower at some point.

The trial is continuing before Justice Lincoln Crowley.