Overview
- Robert John Crawford pleaded not guilty on Monday as the Crown opened a Supreme Court trial accusing him of murdering his wife at their Upper Lockyer Valley home in July 2024.
- The Crown told jurors it will argue the death was staged to look like a ride-on lawnmower accident and says medical evidence will support a cause of death other than an accident.
- Prosecutors say Crawford was driven by infidelity and money and cited about $1.7 million in superannuation and a property worth up to $2.6 million as the financial stakes he faced in a divorce.
- The trial is set to hear from up to 47 witnesses, including RAAF personnel, women the Crown says had relationships with Crawford, and forensic and medical experts, and the jury will inspect the Upper Lockyer property next week.
- The court heard the couple had a conditional reconciliation in May 2024 with strict behaviour boundaries that the Crown says were repeatedly broken, and support services have been noted for those affected by domestic violence.