Former RAAF pilot stood to gain more than $5m from wife's death, court hears

A man on trial for his wife's murder stood to benefit from more than $5 million, a court has heard, and took steps to acquire her superannuation and estate, just four weeks after her death.

Robert John Crawford has pleaded not guilty to his wife Frances Crawford's domestic violence murder at their Upper Lockyer home between the evening of July 29 and early the following morning.

It's during these hours Crown Prosecutor Chris Cook alleged Mr Crawford strangled his 49-year-old wife "in a chokehold", to end the relationship, pursue other women, and benefit financially.

"Crawford then manipulated the property in hopes that others would believe his wife died in a tragic accident," he told the Supreme Court in Brisbane.

When emergency services arrived in the early hours of July 30 2024, Mr Crawford told "lies to police" and gave them "crocodile tears" to convince them of his story.

His defence lawyer however, claimed Frances Crawford's death was nothing more than a tragedy, a "rollover lawnmower accident".

Wife's death worth $5.4 million

Today, his trial at the Supreme Court in Brisbane heard that the former RAAF pilot lodged a death benefit acknowledgement, the first step in initiating a claim, with his wife's superannuation provider weeks after her death.

The same day, on August 30, he certified a copy of Ms Crawford's will which stipulated if her husband survived her by 30 days, he would "get the whole of my estate".

Both steps were taken exactly 30 days after her alleged murder, the court heard.

The jury was also told Frances Crawford's life insurance was worth more than $870, 000, while their more than 100 acre property and home had been valued at more than $2.6 million.

Yesterday the Crown told the court, "Frances Crawford's untimely death becomes very profitable for Mr Crawford at around $5.4 million dollars".

Detailed accounts were given to the jury of Mr Crawford's infidelities with about a dozen women spanning more than 20 years.

The court heard that it was his cheating that first prompted the couple's separation and his moving out of their Upper Lockyer home in 2023, before returning the following May subject to strict conditions, including undergoing a polygraph test.

According to Crown Prosecutor Chris Cook, "divorce was firming" before Frances Crawford's death, with Robert Crawford allegedly telling one of his lovers he thought he could beat the polygraph, and had been trying to keep things calm to prevent his wife going after his $1.7 million worth of superannuation.

Meanwhile, Frances Crawford had allegedly been "wavering" between whether to end the relationship which she described as emotionally abusive, and giving Robert Crawford "another chance to prove himself to her and his three children".

Instead, the Crown claims, he killed her.

Phone data to dispute Robert Crawford's account

In a police statement read to the court, Robert Crawford told police on July 29, 2024 the couple had enjoyed a routine evening watching TV, playing games, and reading the bible before he went to his room and fell asleep.

He allegedly told officers at the time, his wife texted him about moving their ride on mower before "the automatic sprinklers turned on", he then fell asleep before waking up and realising she wasn't in bed.

According to the statement, he said to officers he went to look for Frances Crawford, before finding her body beneath their ride on mower at the base of a retaining wall at their home.

At 3:37am he phoned emergency services, with Frances Crawford declared dead by a paramedic just after 4am.

But on Tuesday, Crown Prosecutor Chris Cook told the court electronic evidence would prove Mr Crawford was lying about being asleep, with his mobile phone data allegedly showing he was awake and active.

"The Crown says circumstantial evidence will show that he's strangling her in a choke hold," the jury heard.

He also pointed to other alleged obscurities, including that Frances Crawford's phone showed no activity between 7:44pm and 11:20pm, despite receiving a message from her oldest son at 9:23pm.

The message about the mower and sprinklers was then sent at 11:20pm, which the Crown alleged was sent by Mr Crawford as part of a cover up, as at the time Frances Crawford was already "likely dead, dying or unconscious, and accordingly incapable of sending that message".

According to the Crown, the fact the message from the couple's older son was only opened by police the next morning at 7am, supported that theory.

Crown case a 'Hollywood' story

Mr Crawford's defence barrister Saul Holt KC said the Crown was attempting to conjure up a "Hollywood" story, by claiming his client was "doing it for life insurance, doing it for the money".

He said most couples would set to benefit financially in the event of their partner's death and pointed to the fact Mr Crawford was not listed as a beneficiary on his wife's superannuation and had once suggested she cancel her life insurance.

Mr Holt claimed Frances Crawford's death had only resulted in a murder investigation due to "close minded" police, who held predispositions about Mr Crawford after attending the property to issue a domestic violence order the year before.

"This was not murder, not by Robert Crawford and not by anybody else," Mr Holt said.

"It was an accident.

"It's obvious and has been from day one."

He told the jury injuries found on Ms Crawford's neck, which the Crown claims are defensive, were also consistent with her coming off the lawnmower and trying to remove it from her neck.