Murder trial hears police had early concerns apparent mower crash was staged

A police crash investigator has told a Brisbane murder trial that officers had early suspicions an apparent lawnmower accident had been staged. Robert Crawford has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Frances at their Upper Lockyer property in July 2024.

Senior Sergeant Stephen Coote said he received a call at 4:37am on the published report of the death. Under defence questioning, he acknowledged suspicions that the scene could involve a homicide. That evidence describes investigators' concerns, not a finding that the prosecution case has been proved.

Coote told the jury that marks on the mower and nearby structures indicated it had moved backwards over a retaining wall. Police tests found its reverse speed was just under four kilometres per hour. The court also heard that it could run without headlights in the setting found at the scene.

The witness said the steering wheel showed no deformation and that a safety switch under the seat did not always work. These observations are part of technical evidence the jury must assess alongside the rest of the case.

The prosecution alleges Crawford strangled his wife and disguised her death as an accident. The defence says she died from crushing injuries or traumatic asphyxia while moving the mower away from sprinklers. The trial continues, with no verdict reached.