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ABC News
21 hours ago
- ABC News
Court documents detail wife's final words to accused murderer Graeme Davidson before kayak drowning
A former army major who allegedly drowned his wife and staged it as a kayaking accident said her last words to him were "I love you" before she plunged below the surface. Court documents submitted as part of a bail application for accused murderer Graeme Davidson show the details of his alleged actions before and after the death of his wife, Jacqueline Davidson. The 56-year-old was charged with murder in May, more than four years after Ms Davidson, 54, drowned at Lake Samsonvale, north-west of Brisbane. The pair were paddling in separate kayaks in November 2020 when Mr Davidson said his wife fell in the water and drowned. Mr Davidson was also charged with fraud and attempted fraud, with police alleging he fraudulently collected more than $200,000 in a life insurance payout, and tried to make a claim on a second policy worth $950,000 after his wife's death. He was released on bail last week after an application in the Supreme Court in Brisbane. Documents submitted to the court as part of his successful bail application have revealed what he told police after his wife's death. "It's my fault," the transcripts show he told police. Mr Davidson said he was "show[ing] off" by trying to stand up and balance on the sides of his kayak while she took a photo of him. "Our sort of, if you like it, safe word, is to say, 'I love you,'" he told police. "It's easy, cause if you're in company, in a bar, or something … and somebody's an arse, and I look like I'm gonna' thump … them … then she'll say, 'I love you. Please don't do that.' "And [that day] she said, I lo-, she said no. And then she said, I love you. And I thought, 'Oh, she really means, no … she's scared.' "And then she fell in." Mr Davidson said he thought his wife was joking around, and that she would soon re-emerge. "I really thought she was gonna get up and tell me off. She never got up," he said. Mr Davidson performed CPR on his wife after pulling her kayak back to shore. Mr Davidson: "Everybody tells me I did a, as good a job as I could do. But I know, if I haven't f***** around that kayak today-" Police Officer: "It's not your fault mate. It's not your fault." Mr Davidson: "Yeah, it is my f****** fault. She even gave me the f****n' safe word. And there I was, fart assin' around like a d***head." Police Officer: "Mm." Mr Davidson: "I f****** killed my wife." The court documents also show the bizarre response he gave to a bystander while his wife was receiving CPR by onlookers. Documents alleged a witness told police she approached Mr Davidson, who had a cut on his lip, to ask if his wife had any communicable diseases, as she was bleeding while receiving CPR. "The [defendant] responded with words to the effect of, 'She had no diseases to catch, unless death is contagious,'" the documents stated. The documents also alleged that the defendant could have gotten Ms Davidson to shore more quickly. "Investigators noted after the victim drowned, the [defendant] had had the ability to sit on the kayak with the deceased and paddle back to make the journey in minutes, however he decided to walk her approximately 2km along the lake's edge, taking 1-2 hours," the documents stated. Bail documents also detail Mr Davidson was recorded on his home's CCTV cameras on the night of his wife's death, burning several documents in his backyard. Mr Davidson's lawyer, Craig Eberhardt, previously told the court this evidence, and other evidence, had been greatly wrongly characterised and exaggerated. In the bail application, the court heard Mr Davidson's two daughters, who offered a surety for his release, were home at the time, and Mr Davidson burned the documents in full view of his cameras. Mr Eberhardt also told the court Ms Davidson did not have any injuries consistent with being assaulted or being involved in any sort of struggle. "Quite simply … there is no direct evidence that [Mr Davidson] killed Jacqueline," he said. The bail documents also revealed more details about an affair Mr Davidson had while he was deployed to Papua New Guinea in 2018 and 2019. The Supreme Court had previously heard his wife was made aware of his infidelity, and had discussed separating with him, which crown prosecutor Caroline Marco said was "not well received" by her husband. The court was told he was concerned about the financial impact it would have on him. The documents submitted as part of his bail application alleged a witness told police Ms Davidson became aware her husband was "cheating on her with local prostitutes and had been fraudulently using a credit card owned by the army". According to the documents, one witness told police they were aware Mr and Ms Davidson discussed separating, "and the conversation mainly related to finances if they were to separate". "It was alleged the [defendant] told the deceased he would fight it all the way and she would be left with nothing," the documents stated. Another witness said Ms Davidson was "emotional" and "paranoid" after finding out her husband was having an affair. During the bail hearing, Mr Eberhardt told the court his client's actions caused "significant matrimony upset" but "there is in fact no evidence of ongoing dispute or domestic disharmony, let alone domestic violence in 2020". The bail documents show police were contacted by a Thai resident after Mr Davidson was arrested, who alleged he assaulted him after he told him to "watch his aggressive bulldog". The documents alleged Mr Davidson "completely freaked out" and attacked the man, until he fell to the ground, unconscious. "The resident woke up in hospital with a broken arm, a broken nose, shattered front tooth and bruises and blood all over his body," the documents alleged. Mr Davidson's has not been charged over the alleged assault and his lawyer disputes he was the instigator in the incident. The documents also show a series of emails between Mr Davidson, police investigators, the Queensland Coroners Court and his insurance company. In an email sent in January 2022, Mr Davidson complained to the presiding police officer that the case was moving at a "glacial" pace, and that the insurance company wouldn't pay out his wife's life insurance until the police and coronial investigation were complete. "My purpose in asking for progress is twofold: closure and insurance," he said in an email to police in January 2023, more than two years after his wife's death. He said he wanted to give his children the money from the insurance payout, to help them put deposits down for their first homes. "The insurance company tells me they don't pay if: 1. Suicide/murder by the beneficiary. 2. Alcohol/drugs. 3. Died whilst committing a crime. 4. Died due to an undisclosed medical condition," he wrote. "I am utterly certain that none of these apply and I don't understand how the process to prove it, or otherwise, can take well over two years; whilst my kids are paying rent." He urged police to provide him a timeline so he could "stop pestering" them every few months. Mr Eberhardt previously told the court his attempt to claim the insurance money was unremarkable. "The existence of mutual insurance policies between husband and wife is the most unremarkable feature of sound financial planning going into retirement," he said. "The fact he claimed on the insurance policy is even more unremarkable, in fact, it would have been even more suspicious if he didn't claim." None of the evidence submitted in the bail hearing, or the documents as part of the prosecution's case against Mr Davidson, has been tested. Mr Davidson has not yet been required to enter a plea, nor has his case, at this stage, been committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court.
News.com.au
08-08-2025
- News.com.au
Former army major Graeme Davidson, accused of murdering wife on Qld kayaking trip, granted bail
A former army major charged with the murder of his wife while the pair were kayaking on a lake has been granted bail in a bombshell court decision. Graeme Davidson's case has been in and out of the Supreme Court in Brisbane over the past week as his legal team fought for his release on bail, following the police arrest in May this year. Mr Davidson — an ex-Australian Army major who also held the rank of Captain in the British Army — is charged with the murder of his wife Jacqueline in November 2020. The pair were kayaking on Lake Samsonvale in Petrie on November 27 that year when Jacqueline drowned and could not be revived. Police allege Mr Davidson was involved in his wife's death. He is also charged with fraud and attempted fraud, relating to allegations he fraudulently collected a life insurance payout worth $200,000, before attempting to claim another $950,000. Mr Davidson has not entered a plea to the charges. A bail application in the Supreme Court which began on July 31 has spread over four hearing days. Craig Eberhardt KC, Mr Davidson's defence barrister, has spent much of the application alleging inconsistencies and weaknesses in the Crown's case against his client. On Friday, Justice Thomas Sullivan said the Crown had accepted their case 'could not be described as strong'. 'I have decided to treat the case in a neutral way,' he said. 'I have otherwise formed the view... the identified statutory risks can be ameliorated by appropriate conditions.' Justice Sullivan said Mr Davidson had remarried and started a new family in Thailand - only returning twice to Australia in the years since Jacqueline's death. A surety of $250,000 had been offered for Mr Davidson's release on bail. Justice Davidson said there was a low risk of Mr Davidson attempting to interfere with witnesses, as the court was told both of Mr Davidson's daughters had provided written statements to the Crown and had 'co-operated' at all times with the investigation. Justice Davidson also said there were no charges related to domestic violence against Mr Davidson, including alleged instances in January 2020 and another in 2001 or 2002. Mr Eberhardt had argued during the bail application there was no evidence to either of these allegations. The court was told some of the bail conditions required Mr Davidson to report to police every day, abiding by a curfew and not approaching a number of Queensland airports. Throughout the bail application, the court was told the case against Mr Davidson was 'circumstantial' – which has led to clashing submissions by Mr Eberhardt and crown prosecutor Caroline Marco. Ms Marco reiterated Justice Sullivan did not need to rule on the strength of the case — which was still in its early stages — and only determine if Mr Davidson had shown cause as to why his detention in pre-trial custody was unjustified. On Wednesday, she said Mr Davidson had allegedly given inconsistencies in statements following his wife's death. Some include allegedly telling witnesses that she 'jumped, or dived' into the water from the kayak and that she was still 'alive', 'conscious' when she was pulled to shore. Mr Davidson's phone allegedly 'ceased to exist on the network' at 11.14am – an hour after the couple set off on their kayaks. Ms Marco said the device had never been recovered and there was 'inexplicable evidence' of its disconnection from the network. 'There had to be a reason why it could not be used to render assistance to Jacqueline, and therefore to justify the course that was taken of walking her two kilometres back to the boat ramp,' she told the court. Texts between Mr Davidson and other witnesses both before and after Jacqueline's death have also been explored in court. The court has previously been told Ms Davidson discovered her husband was having an affair with a woman in Papua New Guinea in 2019, leading to a strain in their marriage. It is alleged three years after the drowning, Mr Davidson texted a friend where he described himself as a 'cliche' because he was an 'older man married to a younger woman'. It was allegedly followed by the comment: 'There are lots of western divorcees out here because are no de facto rules and you can't lose 50 per cent of your s--t'. Ms Marco said this exchange went to allegations that Mr Davidson expressed concerns about 'dividing assets' in the event of a failed relationship. Another exchange at the centre of the application allegedly involved Mr Davidson telling a friend, known as Chesty, that he would kill his wife and move to Thailand if she ever 'sought a divorce and made a claim to his military pension'. Mr Eberhardt said this was nothing more than a 'quip' – in the context of the pair discussing how Chesty's wife had announced she was leaving him and moving to Thailand, taking half his assets with him. But Ms Marco said this was not supported by evidence as Chesty was allegedly 'shocked'. The court was told there was no evidence Jacqueline had been 'violently assaulted' and the couple's marriage had never been marked with violence. Minor bruises found on Jacqueline's body were consistent with CPR attempts and Mr Davidson's attempts to recover his wife's body from the water, Mr Eberhardt said. Through an affidavit filed to the court, Mr Davidson described how he and his wife were '10m apart' on the water when he attempted to 'show off' by standing up on his kayak. 'Jacqueline became distressed about that and used the 'safe word' … designed to let him know that she was concerned about what he was doing,' Mr Eberhardt read from the court document. Mr Davidson allegedly saw his wife 'fall off the kayak' and he went into the water to find her – but could not see because it was 'murky' and full of grass weeds. According to Mr Davidson's statement, the pair were not wearing life jackets because they had been 'eaten by rats' at their house in Bondi before they moved back to Queensland. 'There's evidence to that effect in a statement of (a woman) … she had been told prior to the death that the life jackets had been eaten by rats,' Mr Eberhardt said.
ABC News
08-08-2025
- ABC News
Former army major Graeme Davidson, accused of killing his wife while kayaking, released on bail
A former army major accused of killing his wife while kayaking on a south-east Queensland dam almost five years ago will be released on bail. Jacqueline Davidson, 54, drowned at Lake Samsonvale in November 2020. Her death was initially considered an accident, but following a coronial investigation Graeme Davidson was charged with her murder earlier this year. The 55-year-old was also charged with fraud and attempted fraud in relation to two insurance claims he made on her life insurance totalling more than $1 million dollars. Mr Davidson, who was arrested in Queensland on a return visit from his new home in Thailand, applied for Supreme Court bail in Brisbane last week, which was granted on Friday morning. Justice Tom Sullivan told the court he was satisfied conditions would ameliorate any risk of Mr Davidson failing to appear in court, committing further offences, and interfering with witnesses. "I agree with what has been accepted by the crown that it cannot be described as a strong crown case. "However, even though the evidence may be at a relatively mature stage on my assessment, it should be treated as neutral." During his bail hearing, which was held across three days, details about the couple's relationship history and what Mr Davidson told police happened on the day she died were revealed in court. The court previously heard Mr Davidson said he and his wife had been kayaking for about three hours when Ms Davidson entered the water after becoming panicked when he stood up. He said he retrieved her and made resuscitation attempts whilst ferrying her on one of their kayaks to a boat ramp, where he asked passers-by to call for help. Mr Davidson's lawyers argued there was no direct evidence his client killed Ms Davidson, and prosecutors could not rule out that she had died by accidental drowning. The prosecution alleges he deliberately caused her death, as the couple were having marriage troubles due to him being unfaithful some years prior. Mr Davidson, who has been in custody since his arrest, will have to abide by several bail conditions. That includes a night curfew, daily reporting to police, surrendering both his Australian and British passports, and travel restrictions within Queensland. A surety of $250,000 was also provided by his daughters who have been supporting him throughout the hearing in court.
ABC News
06-08-2025
- ABC News
'Prominent inconsistencies' in murder accused Graeme Davidson's account of wife's death, court hears
A man accused of drowning his wife and staging it as a kayaking accident on a south-east Queensland dam almost five years ago allegedly had "prominent" and "obvious" inconsistencies in his version of events, a court has heard. Earlier this year, Graeme Davidson was charged with the murder of Jacqueline Davidson, as well as two fraud offences in relation to claiming her life insurance. Ms Davidson, 54, died after entering the water while she and Mr Davidson were paddling in separate kayaks on Lake Samsonvale in November 2020. It is alleged Mr Davidson killed his wife then later fraudulently collected more than $200,000 in a life insurance payout, and tried to make a claim on a second policy worth $950,000. The 56-year-old applied for bail in the Supreme Court last week, with a hearing continuing in Brisbane on Wednesday. Finalising his submissions, Mr Davidson's lawyer Craig Eberhardt told the court it was "at best a weak circumstantial case" against his client. "Simply because the evidence does not rule out the possibility at all that [Ms Davidson] died by accident," he said. Mr Ebenhardt told the court the insurance claims were a "mutual fact" and did not point to suspicion against his client. "That's the point of having insurance," he said. Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco told the court that although the case was circumstantial and "still very much in its early stages in the proceedings", it was not accepted it was "tenuous". "The fact that it's circumstantial doesn't render it inherently weak or that it can never be considered a strong case," she said. The court previously heard Mr Davidson told police his wife had fallen into the water while she was trying to take a photo of him. He told them she had become stressed when he stood up in his kayak and used their "safe word" so he would stop, the court previously heard. Mr Davidson was not sure what happened next, but the court previously heard sometime later he realised his wife was in the water, which he described as murky with plants beneath the surface, and went in and pulled her out. Ms Marco told the court Mr Davidson had provided various accounts to people about what happened, and there were "prominent inconsistencies" in the different versions. This included that Ms Davidson was still conscious when he rescued her from the water, that he dove from his kayak into the water to retrieve her, and that her foot may have been caught in "reeds or something". The court heard the prosecution would also argue there were inconsistencies with Mr Davidson's phone use, including that it allegedly "ceased to exist" on the network after just over 45 minutes into their kayak trip. Ms Marco told the court this was "not consistent with the timeline presented" to police, as he said they were using it. "They were on the water for about three hours … he gave [Ms Davidson] his phone to take photographs," she said. However, it was accepted the phone may have been on flight mode at the time and further telecommunications evidence was outstanding. The court heard there were different version of events provided about the whereabouts of his device after his wife entered the water. Ms Marco told the court Mr Davidson said to police on the day that his phone would have been on his wife's kayak, but months later he told a different officer that he looked for it but could not find it and it must have fallen into the water. "The allegation is [the phone] was disposed of," she said. "There has to be a reason why it was not used to render assistance to [Ms Davidson]." It was previously submitted to the court that differing details could be attributed to Mr Davidson going through a traumatic event, or that other statements made by witnesses may not have been accurate. Ms Marco also pointed to the medical evidence in the case, which she called "neutral", despite Mr Eberhardt previously submitting it did not indicate foul play. "The lack of injuries doesn't prove that something did or didn't happen," she said. The court previously heard Mr Davidson had an affair in 2019, and Ms Davidson had confided in a friend about wanting to separate from him. In a statement from that friend, it's alleged Ms Davidson said getting a divorce was "not well received" by her husband, and he did not want to end their marriage due to the financial impact it would have on him. If you need help immediately call emergency services on triple-0 Ms Marco told the court there were further messages to friends the following year, and Ms Davidson had said she believed her husband was looking through her phone. "In my submission, that is evidence the marriage was in trouble," she said. The court previously heard that three years before his wife's death, Mr Davidson allegedly quipped to a friend during a discussion about another friend's separation that he would "kill her and move to Thailand" if she left him and took his pension. Ms Marco told the court this was "of course what is alleged that he did". "[Mr Eberhardt] described this as a quip but … that gloss is not supported by [the witness's] evidence," she said. "[The witness] said, it was said with a venom that shocked him". The court heard Mr Davidson texted a different friend in 2023 and told him he was "a cliché" as he was an older man who married a younger woman in Thailand. "There are lots of western divorcees out here because there are no de facto laws and you can't lose 50 per cent of your shit," he said in the text message. Ms Marco told the court this was evidence Mr Davidson had concerns about dividing assets. Mr Ebenhardt told the court the fact his client moved to Thailand after his wife's death was "irrelevant". "He went there initially just to see if he liked it rather than move," he said. "He didn't marry his [current] wife until 2022." The bail decision will be handed down on Friday.
Daily Mail
01-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Scot accused of his wife's murder had joked to friend about killing her, court told
A Scot accused of murdering his wife while kayaking in Australia previously made a 'quip' about how he would 'kill her and move to Thailand ' if she left him and took half his pension, a court heard. Former Army major Graeme Davidson, who is originally from Glasgow, was charged over the 2020 death of wife Jacqueline in May. Her death at Lake Samsonvale in Queensland was initially put down to accidental drowning but a homicide investigation was launched 18 months later after detectives deemed it to be suspicious. The 56-year-old's lawyers have now applied for his bail in the Supreme Court in Brisbane, claiming the prosecution's case is 'fundamentally weak'. And yesterday the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported how his lawyer Craig Ederhardt told the court the only piece of evidence the prosecution could refer to in its case was the statement of one of Davidson's friends, relating to an alleged conversation in July 2017. It is reported that Mr Eberhardt said they were talking about another friend, whose wife had left him on the day of his retirement, took half of his pension and one of them had moved to Thailand. Davidson is alleged to have replied, saying, 'oh s*** yeah, I'd kill her and move to Thailand too'. But his lawyer told the court it was 'just a quip' and when put in context is 'not nearly as sinister as it sounds'. He is reported as saying: 'That [statement is] not recorded until eight years after the event. 'One wonders firstly whether it's reliable, secondly whether it's even admissible.' Mr Eberhardt also argued there was no evidence to suggest Mrs Davidson had told her husband she intended to leave him or take half his pension. Australian media reported that his wife had raised the 'idea' of divorce, after she learned her husband had an affair with a local woman during an army posting in Papua New Guinea, which caused 'significant matrimonial upset'. But Mr Eberhardt said this was different to her indicating that 'she was intending on leaving the marriage'. He told the court that Mrs Davidson later told friends that she intended to stay to try and make the marriage work. Police allege Davidson, who moved to Thailand several months after his wife's death and married a local resident, was involved in her drowning while they were kayaking. The court heard how bystanders at the scene allegedly asked Davidson if his wife had any diseases, to which he is said to have replied: 'Unless death is contagious'. His lawyer said his client immediately realised this statement was in 'bad taste' and he should not have said it, telling the court it was a 'distressing' incident involving the death of his wife of 35 years. In an affidavit filed as part of his bail application, Davidson is reported to have described how he began to 'show' off by standing up on his kayak when he and his wife were about 10 metres apart on the water. Mrs Davidson allegedly became 'distressed' and 'used the 'safe word' … designed to let him know that she was concerned about what he was doing'. The court was told Davidson saw his wife 'fall off the kayak' and he went into the water to find her but could not see because of the 'murky' water and grass weeds. Mr Eberhardt said: 'He managed to find her after some period of time, and he dragged her out.' Efforts were made to revive her, but she could not be saved. Davidson is also charged with fraud and attempted fraud relating to allegations he tried to claim almost £500,00 [$1million] in life insurance payouts following his wife's death. The defence is set to continue its submissions next week, when prosecutors are expected to refuse Davidson's application for bail.
