Court documents reveal timeline before RAAF pilot Robert Crawford allegedly murdered wife

Australia Broadcast Center

08-05-2025

A tragic late-night accident or something far more sinister?
The latter is what prosecutors are set to argue in the case against Robert Crawford, whose accused of murdering his wife and interfering with her body last year.
Frances Crawford, 49, was found at the base of a rock wall next to a ride on lawn mower with fatal head and neck injuries at their Upper Lockyer property west of Brisbane in July 2024.
The 47-year-old pilot, who has not entered a plea but is contesting the charges, was granted bail last week.
Supreme Court judge Justice Frances Williams determined there were parts of the crown's evidence against him that were "contestable', and he was not a risk of failing to appear in court.
For the first time since his arrest in October 2024, it can be revealed exactly what Mr Crawford says happened the night his wife died.
In court documents filed as part of his bail application, a 10-page witness statement details Mr Crawford's version of events on Monday July 29, 2024.
After leaving work at the Amberley RAAF base, Mr Crawford said he arrived at the couple's house about 6pm where Mrs Crawford was making a curry for dinner.
"I gave her a big hug when I got home," his statement said.
"I remember sneaking some of the uncooked veggies … She had a bit of a go about it at me in a joking way."
Mr Crawford said he then played some piano in the music room, where he noticed the ride on lawn mower battery was charging and making a "weird fan noise".
He said he was having issues with the battery not charging and had been trying to test it when it was time to come in for dinner.
He said he left the mower out of the shed because he planned to take the next day off and "was going to do a bit of mowing".
Mr Crawford said they had owned the mower for two or three years, but Ms Crawford had only ever used it twice as she "struggled to operate it properly".
"If the throttle is turned up and it is placed in gear, it can take off quite quickly," he said in his statement.
He said he went inside to eat with his wife about 6:30pm, and the pair read the bible together, which was "our normal routine".
About 8:30pm Mr Crawford said the couple showered together, then watched television.
Ms Crawford asked him to move the lawnmower before the sprinkler system turned on.
"I told Frances that I would move it later," he said in his statement.
He said he was trying to review study notes but was "struggling to concentrate" so went to the couple's bedroom to "study in peace".
"It was around this time that I received one, possibly two work related phone calls," he said in his statement.
"I think I went out and spoke with Frances in the living room about this."
He said he believed that interaction, which was about 9:45pm, was the last time he saw his wife.
"We were just snuggling on the couch, sharing a heated blanket," he said in his statement.
Mr Crawford said he would generally be in bed by 10pm, however "last night it seemed like I was up much later than that".
He said he made a work call and maybe studied some more.
He then said he sent his wife, who he described as a "night-owl", a message on Signal saying he was going to bed.
"It is not uncommon for us to message each other while we are both in the house," he said in his statement.
"We had already said goodnight, so I did not feel the need to go and see her in person to tell her this."
Mr Crawford said he was "a heavy sleeper" and woke up later to find Ms Crawford was not in their bed.
"I started calling her name, but there was no reply," he said in his statement.
He then said he went outside and saw the lawn mower had been moved and found it "down the embankment, lying on its side".
He said he immediately climbed down and tried to move the mower off her.
"I remember that on occasions where I was able to lift it a little, it was being placed back down with the steering wheel hitting her chin."
Mr Crawford said he eventually managed to pull her out from underneath.
"Frances was completely unresponsive and never at any stage gained consciousness," he said in his statement.
He said he had weak telephone reception and had to climb back up the rock wall to call triple-0 before attempting to resuscitate her.
"I told the guy on the phone that she was really cold … I took off my jacket and placed it over her while I continued with compressions," he said.
Mr Crawford said not long after paramedics arrived, they told him, "She was gone".
His police statement has been described by prosecutors in their written outline of submissions as "demonstrably false".
During his bail hearing last month, it was alleged by the crown that Mr Crawford strangled his wife to death, then sent messages to himself from her phone and manipulated the scene.
He is then accused of fabricating a "fanciful" story that she died by accident.
It is alleged the killing stemmed from an argument about their marriage.
The bail hearing heard Mr Crawford had been unfaithful for a decade and the couple had separated in mid-2023 for about six months.
Although they reconciled in January 2024, the bail hearing heard they were only living together for a probationary period, which was due to expire in July.
In written submissions by the prosecution, it's alleged "the relationship had not recovered" and Ms Crawford was set to leave her husband for the "final time".
"This angered Mr Crawford as he stood to lose financially and would likely be required to leave the family home again," the submissions alleged.
The written submissions alleged witness affidavits, notes on Ms Crawford's phone, and statements from the couple's children painted Mr Crawford as "a domineering, abusive and aggressive man over a long period of time".
In his police witness statement, Mr Crawford admitted at the time of his wife's death the couple were still "having problems" but they were "trying to fix these issues".
"I am not proud of these things and embarrassed by my actions," he said in his statement.
He said at times he felt they would "take two steps forward and one step back" but he believed they were "moving in the right direction".
"We will be somewhere doing something positive … then all of a sudden, something will happen, or something will be said that leads Frances to trigger about my previous actions," he said in his statement.
He said this had happened the weekend before Ms Crawford died, on a night away at Kingscliff, but said they had gotten passed it.
"I listened to her and then apologised … We then had a hug and a kiss before we moved on," he said in his statement.
Mr Crawford ended his statement by telling investigators he had even changed his work roster so he could spend more time with his wife.
The prosecution's case focuses on alleged forensic inconsistencies and mobile phone data it alleges contradicts Mr Crawford's claims he was asleep.
A document produced by the crown detailing a timeline of the couple's alleged movements and communication, based on data from their mobile phones and the home virtual assistance system, formed part of the bail documentation.
According to the document, it showed Ms Crawford took a call from one of her sons at 6:30pm and then sent him a photograph at 7:44pm.
More than an hour later Mr Crawford's voice is recognised making the audio command "Alexa, how do you spell 'Axle'", according to the document.
Throughout the night, the document alleged Mr Crawford received calls from colleagues, and messages about a work issue.
At 11:21pm, the crown alleged Ms Crawford's handset sent a message via Signal to her husband's handset saying "Hey, are you going to put the mower away soon?".
Mr Crawford replied, "Yea just doing SDO stuff still" and then sent two follow up messages saying, "Just give me a sec" and "You can just turn the sprinklers off if easier too xx", according to the document.
There were no further replies from Ms Crawford's handset, but the document alleged her husband's messages were read within seconds of being delivered.
At 12:28am Mr Crawford sent another Signal message to his wife saying "Hey I'm finished with my revision study stuff, I'm brushing teeth and going to bed soon. Are you coming?", according to the document.
He allegedly sent a follow up message at 12:30am saying "Helllloooo? Xx stop watching Korean Netflix and come to bed haha".
The document alleged the messages were not read until next morning at 7:03am.
The crown alleged at 12:31am Ms Crawford's handset recorded 20 steps being taken, which is the final movement recorded until emergency services arrived.
Four minutes later Mr Crawford sent a final message to Ms Crawford saying, "Hey I'm getting really sleepy", which data shows was also read on her handset the next morning, according to the document.
The document alleged between 12:44am and 2:35am Mr Crawford's handset was recorded several times being unlocked and at times using the Signal app.
The crown alleged in its timeline that at 3am Mr Crawford's Garmin Connect Application was activated, and 15 minutes later 537 steps were recorded.
His handset was recorded unlocking several times between 3:20am and 3:28am and this was when it was last recorded using the Signal app, according to the crown's timeline.
According to the document, at 3:30am his Garmin Connect Application recorded 974 steps.
Seven minutes later Mr Crawford made the call to emergency services.
None of the evidence submitted in the bail hearing, or the documents as part of the prosecution's case against Mr Crawford, has been tested.
A committal hearing has been set down for three days in October where it is expected his defence team will cross examine witnesses.
Until then Mr Crawford remains on bail under strict conditions.