Frances Crawford contracted chlamydia from Air Force pilot husband Robert Crawford due to one of his many affairs before she was found dead next to ride-on lawnmower

Former RAAF pilot Robert Crawford is on trial in Brisbane, accused of murdering his wife, Frances, and staging her death to look like a ride-on mower accident. The case has drawn attention to the couple’s troubled marriage and may turn on whether the scene and messages from the night of her death support the prosecution’s account.

Frances had written notes weighing the reasons to stay with Crawford against his repeated infidelity; she had previously contracted chlamydia following one of his affairs. Her sister told the court the marriage was in disrepair, while their children said they had never seen Frances ride the mower. Crawford called emergency services in the early hours of 30 July 2024, saying she was trapped beneath it; the prosecution alleges he fabricated messages to cover his tracks, while his defence says infidelity does not prove murder.