Former RAAF pilot Robert Crawford pleads not guilty to wife’s murder as trial reveals alleged affairs and marital conflict
In Brisbane Supreme Court, former RAAF pilot Robert John Crawford denied murdering his wife Frances Crawford, while testimony highlighted a long-term pattern of infidelity and financial disputes.
Former Royal Australian Air Force pilot Robert John Crawford has entered a not-guilty plea to the murder of his wife, Frances Crawford, at the Brisbane Supreme Court. The trial, which continues this week, has featured testimony about Crawford’s alleged extramarital affairs spanning two decades and claims that he transmitted a sexually transmitted infection to his wife, falsely attributing its source to a toilet.
Frances Crawford’s sister, Tamara Davis, told the court that her sister had tried to access Crawford’s phone a year before her death to investigate the affairs. Davis recounted that Crawford reacted angrily, ripping the phone from her sister’s hand and that Frances expressed fear of his behaviour. A week before her death, Davis said Frances told her she wished Crawford had died in a car accident so she would not have to end the marriage, adding that she was concerned about her financial situation if a divorce proceeded.
Evidence was also presented from Crawford’s former lover, Antonia Guterres, who worked at the Amberley RAAF base. Guterres testified that Crawford had discussed moving to Papua New Guinea in 2024 and had invited her to accompany him, although the relocation never occurred. She said Crawford described his home life as troubled, mentioning that his marriage was strained, his children were not speaking to him, and that he felt “suppressed by people in the past.” Guterres identified the person Crawford referred to as “someone who broke his heart” as former affair partner Emily Renshaw, another RAAF pilot.
During the proceedings, a triple-zero emergency call made by Frances Crawford in 2023 was played. In the call, she reported that Crawford was attempting to re-enter the house after she had changed the locks. Crawford was heard saying, “How can you do this?” and asserting, “It’s my home too.” Frances’ brother, David Pilon, testified that he arrived to find Crawford sitting outside the front door and that a back window had been broken.
The court has not yet ruled on the charges, and the trial is ongoing.