Robert John Crawford: Former pilot to face trial over wife's alleged lawnmower murder

A man accused of staging his wife’s death to look like a ride-on lawnmower crash has been ordered to stand trial for her murder.

Robert John Crawford, 47, has been accused of strangling his wife in a “murderous rage” before her body was discovered west of Brisbane.

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

A former Royal Australian Air Force pilot, Crawford entered a not guilty plea in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Thursday after he was ordered to stand trial.

Acting Magistrate Sue Ganasan found there was sufficient evidence for Crawford to face trial on the charges of murder and interfering with a corpse.

Crawford’s barrister, Saul Holt, said the prosecution case was “extraordinarily weak” after cross-examining four witnesses over the two-day hearing, including extensive questioning of a forensic pathologist and a biomechanics expert.

Mr Holt also challenged electronic evidence that claimed a mobile phone had been activated repeatedly in the hours after midnight when Frances Crawford was likely dead and his client said he was asleep.

Ms Ganasan asked Crawford if he had anything to say in response to the charges.

“Not guilty, Your Honour,” he said.

Crawford called emergency services about 3.40am and told them he found his wife at the bottom of a retaining wall and a lawnmower had fallen on her.

She had been trying to move the lawnmower away from water sprinklers, Crawford told responding officers.

Timothy John Roberts testified he was a detective sergeant at the time of Ms Crawford’s death and attended the couple’s property on the morning her body was found.

Crawford was treated as witness rather than a suspect despite police declaring a crime scene based on the suspicion his wife had died via homicide, Ms Ganasan heard.

“Crawford said he was alone at property but also said he spent time asleep. I could not say if two people had been there,” Mr Roberts said.

Crawford was charged three months after his wife’s death.

Prosecutors have claimed Crawford strangled his wife, possibly in the couple’s home bathroom, then moved her body to make it look like a 237kg ride-on mower had landed on top of her.

His defence has argued she died from the lawnmower’s steering wheel compressing her neck.

Forensic pathologist Andrzej Kedziora testified on Wednesday he performed the autopsy on Ms Crawford.

It revealed injuries including 15 abrasions to her throat area and an abrasion to her chin, Ms Ganasan heard.

Under cross examination, Dr Kedziora agreed the injuries could potentially be explained by someone accidentally reversing a ride-on mower off a retaining wall at night.

However, his report found Ms Crawford could have been killed by someone pressing their arm across her throat via a headlock, Ms Ganasan heard.

Crawford’s bail was continued.

He declined to comment when he left the court building, as did Mr Holt.