Ex-RAAF pilot told commander marriage was difficult weeks before wife's death, court hears

Robert Crawford, 49, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Frances Crawford, whose body was found at the bottom of a retaining wall on the couple's rural south-east Queensland property, beside a ride-on mower, in 2024. His defence team told the jury the death was a tragic accident, saying Crawford believed his wife died while moving the mower because the sprinklers were going to come on. Prosecutors allege he killed her to avoid losing millions of dollars in a divorce, describing him as a "love rat" with a string of extramarital affairs.

Wing Commander Mark Seery, who worked with Crawford from 2018, testified on Thursday that Crawford had spoken to him on several occasions about his marriage. "He said they were having difficulties," Seery told the court, adding that Crawford had said his wife had new medication that was creating disruption between them. Seery said he knew Crawford had moved out of the family home and had moved back in by February 2024. Messages from February 2 shown to the jury showed Crawford telling Seery that a counselling session "went better than I thought it would" and that he was "Aiming to move back to the Toowoomba house mid-March (but still a long road ahead)".

The trial has also heard that Crawford had an affair with Antonia Guterres, a colleague in No. 35 Squadron, and asked her if she wanted to move with him to Papua New Guinea. In the weeks before his wife's death, he told her he still had feelings for her.

After a work trip between May and June 2024, Seery thanked Crawford and said he hoped it had not caused stress at home. Crawford replied: "You're welcome mate. Yeah, it wasn't fun when I told her, but it was good for me to get away, to be honest. I feel happy when I come to work." Seery also confirmed to defence barrister Saul Holt KC that Crawford had been upset in a phone call and said his relationship had "gone backwards", and that he had asked for one or two days off per week to spend more time at home.

Earlier on Thursday, Holt questioned detective sergeant Troy Weston, who investigated the scene, about the property's water system. Holt said Weston had not investigated what police had known for five days: that Crawford had told other officers a grey water tank turned on at "random times". Weston said he was not aware Crawford had said similar things to Sergeant Glen Thomas, including that "the grey water system … it just goes whenever, like it's a septic set by the level". Holt also asked why Weston had not pumped water into an empty tank to test the sprinkler's capabilities, with Weston replying it was "just a visual inspection", and pressed him on whether he had read the instructions on the sprinkler control box.

This week the jury heard that blood drops found inside the bathroom were consistent with Frances's DNA, although a forensic scientist said there was no test to determine the age of the stains. Investigators also found notes around the home that the prosecution says Frances wrote, detailing the pair's relationship and Crawford's excuse for an affair. The jury visited the property on Wednesday, which Justice Lincoln Crowley said would help them understand the evidence in a realistic setting. The trial continues.