Frances Crawford: Headlock or lawnmower may have killed Queensland woman, court hears

A woman prosecutors claim had her death staged to look like a lawnmower accident could have died from deliberate strangulation or in a tragic mistake, a magistrate has heard.

Frances Elizabeth Crawford was found dead near a ride-on lawnmower at the base of a retaining wall at a rural Upper Lockyer property, west of Brisbane, in July 2024.

Her husband and former Royal Australian Air Force Pilot Robert John Crawford, 47, was charged three months later with murder and interfering with a corpse.

Crawford faced Ipswich Magistrates court on Wednesday for the start of a two-day committal hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence for him to face trial.

Prosecutors have alleged Crawford strangled his wife in a “murderous rage”, possibly in the couple’s home bathroom, then moved her body to stage her death to make it look like a late-night accident while she was trying to move the lawnmower away from water sprinklers.

His defence have argued she died from the mower accidentally falling on top of her and the steering wheel compressing her neck.

Frances Crawford’s autopsy revealed injuries including 15 abrasions to her throat area and an abrasion to her chin, acting magistrate Sue Ganasan heard.

Forensic pathologist Andrzej Kedziora testified he had performed the autopsy.

Under cross-examination by Crawford’s barrister Saul Holt, Dr Kedziora was asked if the injuries could be potentially be explained by someone accidentally reversing a ride-on mower off a retaining wall at night.

“Yes,” Dr Kedziora said.

His report found Frances Crawford was likely not strangled by someone using their hands but could have been killed by someone pressing their arm across her throat via a headlock, Ms Ganasan heard.

“It’s possible the abrasions on the neck may have been caused by fabric or the hand by rubbing, the injury on the chest could have been caused by an elbow and the abrasions may have been caused by nails grasping the forearm and hitting the skin of the neck,” Dr Kedziora said.

Mr Holt asked Dr Kedziora if he agreed with another doctor’s view that a bruise on Frances Crawford’s chest and the abrasion on her chin were more likely to have been caused by the lawnmower than manual strangulation.

“I am unable to determine the probability of these incidents. I included several scenarios and did not rule any out,” Dr Kedziora said.

Mr Holt asked Dr Kedziora about a review of his autopsy report that claimed it “comes across a bit as though you are trying to fit the cause of death to police suspicions”.

“Do you accept that criticism?” Mr Holt said.

“No,” Dr Kedziora said.

It was standard procedure for another doctor to review an autopsy in the case of a suspicious death, Dr Kedziora said in response to a re-examination by crown prosecutor Chris Cook.

The committal continues and is due to hear from further forensic expert witnesses.

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