Frances Crawford's sister says she was 'scared' to leave husband

In short:

Two of Frances Crawford's siblings have given evidence at the trial of her husband for murder at the Supreme Court in Queensland today.

Her sister Tamara Davis told the jury "she was scared and overwhelmed" to leave Robert Crawford just days before she died.

The defence says Ms Crawford died in a tragic lawnmower accident. The trial continues.

The sister of a southern Queensland woman who was allegedly killed by her husband has told a jury "she was scared and overwhelmed" to leave him, just days before she died.

Robert John Crawford has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Frances Crawford at their Upper Lockyer home in July 2024.

Her body was found trapped underneath a ride-on lawn mower at the bottom of a retaining wall.

Prosecutors allege Mr Crawford deliberately caused Ms Crawford's death, by strangulation, and or inflicting blunt force trauma, before staging the crime scene to look like an accident.

The jury has already heard the couple were experiencing marital issues stemming from Mr Crawford's previous infidelity, and he allegedly stood to gain financially from killing her.

Mr Crawford's defence team have told the jury Ms Crawford's death was an obvious but not uncommon tragedy, and no murder took place.

On Wednesday, two of Ms Crawford's siblings gave evidence including her older sister Tamara Davis.

Ms Davis told the jury she and Ms Crawford were close and spoke regularly, and she was aware the couple's "marriage was in disrepair".

In the days before her sister died, Ms Davis told the jury the pair spoke on the phone, and Ms Crawford had been worried about her husband overhearing their conversation.

"She didn't want Rob in earshot," she said.

Ms Davis told the jury Ms Crawford told her she was "sick of all the affairs" and was seriously considering divorce but was feeling "scared and overwhelmed" about it.

"[Frances said] 'I wish Rob had a car accident, hit a tree and killed himself, so she didn't have to make the decision to leave the marriage," she said recalling their conversation.

Ms Davis told the jury in an earlier conversation, Ms Crawford had stated that if she did get divorced "she will be single and broke because Rob wanted to take all the money".

The jury heard Ms Davis said in her police statement that Ms Crawford had told her, her husband had been emotionally abusive.

When asked about a fight between the couple in mid-2023, Ms Davis told the court her sister had described being caught trying to access her husband's phone.

"She was really scared … he was so angry he ripped the phone out of her hands," she said.

"She was very concerned for her safety."

Ms Davis also told the jury her sister complained that her husband "spent a lot of money on other women and hobbies" but she was "told off for spending money on herself".

She told the jury Ms Crawford told her he was "aggressive and very defensive" in the way he spoke with her.

"Frances told me he lied a lot … pretty much her entire marriage," she said.