A woman allegedly murdered in a staged lawnmower crash was due to receive a favorable financial settlement if she had proceeded with plans to divorce her unfaithful husband, a court has heard.
Robert John Crawford is accused of murdering his wife, Frances, by strangulation at the couple's property west of Brisbane in the early hours of July 30, 2024. Crawford, 49, allegedly stood to lose their $2 million home and his RAAF senior pilot's superannuation in a divorce brought on by his serial infidelities, prosecutors claimed.
He has pleaded not guilty to murder at his Brisbane Supreme Court trial, which began in October. Crawford's defense claims his wife died from crushing injuries or traumatic asphyxia after becoming caught under the lawnmower's steering wheel while moving the vehicle away from automated sprinklers.
Meagan Murrell, a family lawyer, testified that Ms. Crawford had contacted her in July 2023 after a temporary separation and an incident where her husband allegedly broke into their home. "She was concerned Robert had been cheating on her for a decade. She was concerned about contracting a sexually transmitted disease," Ms. Murrell stated.
Ms. Murrell agreed with prosecutor Chris Cook that there was a "huge disparity" in the couple's income. Crawford reportedly made about $200,000 annually, while his wife earned approximately $500 per week and had minimal superannuation. The alleged victim was also concerned her husband might deplete their shared accounts, having already done so to pay his legal fees. "He took $6000 from our funds and left me with $150," Ms. Crawford texted to Ms. Murrell, who told the court she informed her client that a financial settlement assessment would likely be altered in her favor.
Ms. Crawford wavered on her decision to leave her husband, at one point texting Ms. Murrell that their marriage "needs finality." Although she asked the lawyer to keep her file open, she was attempting to reconcile with her husband in their last conversation in May 2024.
Paramedics discovered Ms. Crawford's body at the bottom of a retaining wall near an overturned ride-on lawnmower after her husband called emergency services at 3:38 a.m. and attempted resuscitation. The 49-year-old psychologist and mother of three was pronounced dead at the scene.
Senior Sergeant Stephen Coote, from Queensland Police's forensic crash unit, testified that he had tested the lawnmower multiple times, including on the morning Ms. Crawford died. When questioned by defense barrister Saul Holt, Senior Sergeant Coote confirmed that "suspicions" of the crash being staged for homicide arose early on.
Police formed the opinion that the lawnmower was reversing with its headlights off when it went over the retaining wall. "The reverse was very slow," Senior Sergeant Coote said, noting scrape marks on the mower's cutting deck and damage to a rear support strut. The mower was later tested twice in a shed in September. It was found that the mower could start and run its engine without headlights activated. Photos shown to the jury depicted the mower overturned with its steering wheel unable to touch the ground.
Senior Sergeant Coote also testified that the steering wheel was plastic with a rubber coating and was not deformed. He added that a safety switch under the mower's seat had a faulty connection and did not always function. The trial is ongoing.