Man broke into home before wife’s death, jury hears
Andrew Stafford |
A man accused of murder broke into the family home days after his wife had changed the locks after discovering his infidelity, a court has been told.
Former RAAF pilot Robert Crawford, 49, has pleaded not guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court to the murder of his wife.
Frances Crawford was discovered next to a ride-on mower below a retaining wall on the couple’s property near Toowoomba in the early hours of July 30, 2024.
The jury heard an 11-minute triple-zero call to police made by Mrs Crawford on the morning of July 20, 2023, a little over a year before her death.
They were shown body-worn camera footage from Senior Sergeant Glen Thomas of a lengthy argument with Robert Crawford after police arrived at the house.
Crawford insisted it was his house and repeatedly asked why he should have to leave.
Later, police were seen speaking to Mrs Crawford, who was flanked by two of the couple’s three children.
She said she feared for her safety and said her husband did not understand domestic violence encompassed a range of behaviours.
Mrs Crawford said her husband had grabbed, stood over and yelled at her.
“He believes abuse is hitting, but he believes that’s the only platform of abuse,” she said.
“I should have got out long ago.”
The jury saw police accompanying him as he packed a suitcase.
The couple separated after Mrs Crawford contracted chlamydia from her husband and confronted him about his cheating, the court was told.
Text messages between the couple showed Crawford appealing to her wife’s religious beliefs in an attempt to reconcile with her.
“Churches are full of sinners and I know I am one of them,” he said.
“But so are you.”
The couple attempted an unsuccessful trial reconciliation 10 months later.
Days after returning from an interstate getaway, Mrs Crawford was dead – allegedly after being strangled by her husband.
The Crown alleges she was already dead, dying or unconscious by the time the mower was toppled off the wall and Crawford staged her death as a tragic accident.
He is also accused of falsifying text messages with his wife on the night of her death to cover his tracks.
The jury heard evidence from Antonia Guterres, an RAAF colleague with whom Crawford had an affair.
Ms Guterres said Crawford told her his wife was emotionally unstable, had bipolar disorder and was “off her meds”.
She said Crawford told her his wife had brainwashed the kids.
“It got a bit violent, and he was a bit distressed,” she said.
Ms Guterres ceased regular contact with Crawford about September 2023, but they remained in touch for another year.
There was no contact between them in the days leading up to Mrs Crawford’s death, when Ms Guterres was in Vanuatu.
Tamara Davis told the jury that six days before her sister’s death, Mrs Crawford told her the marriage was in disrepair and she wanted her husband dead.
“She told me ‘I wish Rob had a car accident, hit a tree and killed himself’ so she didn’t have to make a decision to leave the marriage,” Ms Davis said.
The court heard earlier from an RAAF colleague of Crawford’s, pilot Peter Wuttke, who was texting Crawford on the night of Mrs Crawford’s death.
He said Crawford had told him an argument had ensued about the ride-on mower, which had been left outside.
Mr Wuttke agreed with Crawford’s barrister, Saul Holt KC, that Crawford had told him he thought his wife had attempted to move the mower inside “to prove a point”.
The trial will continue on Thursday before Justice Lincoln Crowley.
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AAP