A Queensland court has heard details from the notebook of Frances Crawford, who allegedly wrote a pros and cons list about her marriage to Robert Crawford before her death. Robert Crawford is accused of strangling his wife and staging her death to appear as a lawnmower accident on their property on July 29, 2024.
Notebook entries shown to the Brisbane Supreme Court jury revealed Frances Crawford's considerations about her marriage, which had been strained by her husband's serial infidelity. In one entry, she noted that staying with him could be an "enormous testimonial to God's faithfulness," suggesting a hope that they could resolve their differences and persist with the marriage. The couple had separated about a year before her death after she became aware of his infidelity.
The notes also indicated that Frances Crawford felt "unsafe" within the marriage. She had established a list of boundaries for her husband, with consequences for breaches, such as temporary removal from the home or requiring a polygraph test for lying. Her relationship with her daughter, Jessie, had also become strained after her father moved back into the family home a few months prior to Frances's death, which she feared could impact family gatherings.
Forensic scientist Owen Esaias testified about blood stains found on a towel and bath mat in the couple's bathroom. He noted that 16 circular stains on the towel suggested dripping blood and could not rule out spatter or impact patterns. Photographs of Frances Crawford showed a bloodied nose. The defense suggested that the husband had been offered a shower by police after attending to his wife's body the morning after her death.
Evidence from the scene of the alleged mower accident was also presented. Sergeant Esaias found bloodstains on a rock wall, stating it was plausible that Mrs. Crawford had sustained a head injury there or that it was pre-existing. Senior Constable Matthew Fender's photographs depicted severe bruising and abrasions on her neck and a deep gash on the back of her head, with bloodstains on and around the mower. However, Constable Fender admitted that no fingerprints were taken from the mower's steering wheel, as there was no initial indication it was staged. The defense presented the husband's claim that his wife was attempting to move the mower inside when the accident occurred.
Frances Crawford's children have testified that they never saw their mother use the ride-on mower. The jury is scheduled to visit the couple's property.