Former RAAF pilot on trial for alleged murder of wife in Toowoomba region

Robert John Crawford, 49, a former Royal Australian Air Force pilot, appeared before the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday and entered a not-guilty plea to the murder of his wife, Frances Elizabeth Crawford, whose body was discovered on their rural property near Upper Lockyer on July 29, 2024. Prosecutor Chris Cook told the jury that the couple’s marriage had broken down and that Crawford stood to lose significant assets in a pending divorce, giving him a motive to stage the death as an accident.

The prosecution said Crawford engaged in multiple extramarital relationships and described his conduct as inconsistent with the “good Christian values” he publicly claimed.

"He made out to be a man with good Christian values, however his story did not match his behaviour. He was a man who lived a double life for a long time," Cook said.

Four women who had affairs with Crawford are expected to testify. The court was also informed that Ms. Crawford had set clear boundaries for the marriage, including deal-breakers such as infidelity, pornography and masturbation, and was considering divorce at the time of her death.

Justice Lincoln Crowley indicated that the prosecution would argue Crawford caused his wife’s death by either strangulation or blunt-force trauma and that the jury would visit the crime scene on Wednesday to better understand the evidence. The trial, which may involve up to 47 witnesses, is slated to continue over the next three weeks. Crawford’s defence counsel has not yet presented an opening statement.