Murder trial hears claims Frances Crawford wanted husband to leave RAAF
Frances Crawford who was allegedly killed by her husband wanted him to leave the RAAF, court hears.
The trial for the murder of 49-year-old Frances Crawford heard claims that she wanted her husband, Robert Crawford, to leave the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and that his job was causing tension in their marriage. Robert Crawford, a former RAAF pilot, is on trial in Brisbane's Supreme Court for allegedly killing his wife. The prosecution alleges that he caused her death and manipulated the scene to make it appear as an accident.
On Thursday, Robert Crawford's commanding officer in the RAAF, Mark Seery, testified about the couple's marital issues. Mr Seery said Robert discussed his marital problems with him, often becoming upset, and mentioned that Frances wanted him to leave the Air Force. He also revealed that Frances began taking medication that created further disruption between them.
Text messages between Mark Seery and Robert Crawford in February 2024 were shown to the jury. In these messages, Robert expressed his intention to move back into the family home and discussed difficulties related to his job, specifically mentioning a trip to Townsville that his wife opposed. Following the trip, Seery granted Robert regular days off to help ease the stress at home.
In the weeks leading up to Frances Crawford's death in July 2024, Robert arranged to do local flights only, avoiding overnight flights. This was based on his belief that his wife was trying to move the lawnmower at night due to sprinkler systems. Detective Sergeant Troy Weston testified about tests he conducted on the sprinkler systems, where he found timers set for the afternoon and evening, though he didn't personally test the systems or research their workings.
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