Murder trial hears claims Frances Crawford wanted husband to leave RAAF

A former RAAF pilot accused of killing his wife told his boss she “didn’t want him to be in the Air Force anymore” and changed his work duties for her before she died, a jury has heard.

Robert Crawford is on trial in the Supreme Court in Brisbane, charged with the murder of 49-year-old Frances Crawford.

The 49-year-old denies killing her and has pleaded not guilty.

In July 2024, Ms Crawford's body was found at the bottom of a retaining wall on their Upper Lockyer property beside an overturned ride-on lawn mower.

Prosecutors allege Mr Crawford caused her death, before manipulating the scene to look like an accident.

On Thursday, Mr Crawford's commanding officer in his squadron, Mark Seery was called to give evidence.

Mr Seery told the jury in 2023 and 2024 Mr Crawford discussed his marriage issues with him and often became upset.

"He said they were having difficulties," he said.

The jury has previously heard during this period the couple went through a separation, due to Ms Crawford discovering Mr Crawford had been unfaithful.

Mr Seery told the jury he was not aware of specific problems, but recalled Mr Crawford once telling him Ms Crawford began taking medication which was "creating disruption between them".

He told the jury Mr Crawford also divulged his job was a source of tension in his relationship, and he claimed Ms Crawford no longer wanted him to travel.

"She didn't want him to be in the Air Force anymore," he said.

The jury was shown text messages between Mr Seery and Mr Crawford sent in February 2024.

In the messages, Mr Crawford said "big joint counselling session went better than I thought it would" and he was planning to move back into the family home the following month.

He went on to say in another message, "still a long road ahead".

After the couple reconciled, Mr Seery told the jury, Mr Crawford expressed still having difficulties, which centred around him travelling for work.

He told the jury Mr Crawford said his wife took issue with a trip he took to Townsville.

"We had discussed bringing him back sooner," he said.

After this trip, Mr Seery told the jury he allowed Mr Crawford to take regular days off on a weekly basis, to help ease the stress at home.

In more text messages shown to the jury, Mr Seery thanked Mr Crawford for going on a last-minute trip to Papua New Guinea in the weeks before Ms Crawford's death.

Mr Seery said: "I hope it hasn't stressed the home front too much."

Mr Crawford replied "it wasn't fun when I told her, but it was good for me to get away tbh".

He went on to say "I feel happy when I come to work".

Mr Seery told the jury he believed Mr Crawford was "eager to get home".

After this, he told the jury Mr Crawford arranged to do "local flights only" which meant "not flying overnight" anywhere.

The jury has already heard Mr Crawford told police he believed his wife was trying to move the lawnmower that night because sprinklers were due to come on.

Earlier Detective Sergeant Troy Weston gave evidence about tests he did on the sprinkler systems.

Sergeant Weston told the jury he found timers had been set for the afternoon and evening but conceded he did not run the sprinklers with water, to check if they operated correctly.

He also admitted he did not know Mr Crawford advised there was another sprinkler system, which would go off randomly, and also did not research how the sprinkler system worked.

"I didn't read the instructions," he said.

The trial continues.