Former RAAF squadron leader on trial for allegedly killing wife to avoid divorce payout

In a Brisbane-area courtroom, former RAAF squadron leader Robert John Crawford denied a murder charge after his wife, Frances Elizabeth Crawford, was found dead beside a mower at their Upper Lockyer Valley residence. Crown Prosecutor Chris Cook argued Crawford engineered the scene to look accidental, citing his history of affairs and a recent reconciliation that imposed strict behavioural boundaries. The prosecution claims Crawford stood to lose a $1.7 million superannuation fund and a $2.6 million house if a divorce proceeded.

The trial will feature testimony from fellow pilots, women who had relationships with Crawford, and medical and forensic experts. Defence counsel Saul Holt KC will contest the allegations, and Justice Lincoln Crowley will oversee the three-week proceeding.