Murder accused ‘kissed, held, spoke to’ wife’s body
Rex Martinich |
A former pilot accused of murdering his wife was seen kissing and talking to her body after allegedly finding her crushed under a ride-on lawnmower.
Frances Crawford was discovered next to a ride-on mower below a retaining wall on the couple’s property west of Brisbane in the early hours of July 30, 2024.
Two of the couple’s children told the Brisbane Supreme Court at their father’s trial on Thursday they “never” saw her use the mower.
Former RAAF pilot Robert John Crawford, 49, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife.
Paramedic Scott Gregory Gordon on Thursday testified he arrived at 4am and saw Crawford performing “ineffective CPR” on his wife’s body.
Mr Gordon said he touched Mrs Crawford and the overturned lawnmower next to her body and both were “cold”.
He agreed Crawford did not want to stop CPR but he told him: “You need to stop, she’s gone”.
“Was he kissing her forehead, stroking her hand until police arrived?” defence barrister Saul Holt KC asked.
“Yes,” Mr Gordon said.
Crawford told paramedics he had gone out to look for his wife after waking up and finding she was not in bed with him.
Mr Gordon said Crawford spoke to his wife’s body with “endearment” about her having gone to move the lawnmower.
“Why did you shift it? I would have moved it for you,” Crawford said, according to Mr Gordon’s testimony.
Mr Gordon and other paramedics discontinued efforts to revive Mrs Crawford soon after arriving because of her “state of obvious death” and early rigor mortis, the jury heard.
Police bodycam footage played to the jury showed Crawford in a T-shirt and boxer shorts and a blanket over his shoulders when officers arrived.
“All I could see were her legs … I couldn’t get her out,” he told police, crying and shaking at times.
The jury was earlier played a 22-minute recording of Crawford’s triple-zero call at 3.38am after allegedly finding his wife’s body.
“I think she’s still OK,” Crawford told the triple-zero operator.
Crawford said there was blood at the scene and repeatedly said “I don’t know” when asked if she was breathing.
The sound of Crawford crying and apparently making rapid chest compressions in an attempt to revive his wife could be heard throughout the call.
“What was she mowing at this time?” the operator asked Crawford.
“The sprinklers. I think she was moving it,” Crawford said.
The sound of chest compressions continued until the voices of emergency services could be heard in the background and the call ended.
Crawford sat in court with hands on lap as the jury heard the recording.
Two of Crawford’s adult children were in court to listen to the call.
Both earlier testified their mother “never” used the ride-on mower before the alleged fatal accident.
Jessie Skye Crawford testified her mother had resumed her relationship with Crawford after initially planning a “financial separation” over his infidelity.
“He started turning up and doing mowing and the hedges,” Jessie said.
“She said at least stuff was getting done and she would take advantage.”
Jessie said she thought her mother was “picking her abuser over us” by allowing Crawford back into the family home.
“Did you see your father mowing the grass?” crown prosecutor Chris Cook asked.
“Yes. I saw him,” Jessie said.
Jake William Crawford testified his mother had friends come over with their push mower rather than cut the lawn herself.
“Did you ever see your mother cut the grass?” Mr Cook said.
“Never,” Jake said.
Mrs Crawford had been worried about her financial situation while planning to separate from his father, Jake said.
Her children did not approve of her resuming the relationship with Crawford.
“I was distressed for her, for her safety,” Jake said.
“None of us kids wanted her with dad.”
The trial continues.
AAP