A woman who had an affair with Robert Crawford told his murder trial that he described his wife, Frances, as emotionally abusive and said he felt trapped in their marriage.
Crawford, 49, denies the alleged murder of Frances on 29 July 2024. Prosecutors claim he strangled her before staging the scene beside a ride-on mower to make her death appear accidental.
The prosecution also alleges that Crawford fabricated a series of text messages exchanged with his wife on the night she died in an attempt to conceal what had happened.
Emily Renshaw, one of several women with whom Crawford had been unfaithful during the marriage, gave evidence that he had spoken to her about his relationship with Frances.
“She would call him a narcissist,” Ms Renshaw told the court. “He said she would act quite cold and pick fights with him in front of the kids.”
The jury has heard allegations that Frances monitored her husband’s finances and communications closely and required him to take regular polygraph tests as a condition of their relationship.
Ms Renshaw said Crawford had told her he was unhappy and felt “trapped, alone and isolated” but was reluctant to leave because of his family and financial circumstances.
“He didn’t want to put his kids through it,” she said, referring to Crawford’s three children and explaining that the youngest was still at school. She also said he did not want to lose contact with his church community and friends.
After Ms Renshaw ended her relationship with Crawford, she received a message from Frances, which she immediately blocked.
The court also heard evidence from Sarah Goodsell, a friend of Crawford’s to whom he had discussed intimate details of his marriage. Frances mistakenly suspected that Crawford was having an affair with Ms Goodsell, the jury was told.
Messages were shown in which Ms Goodsell encouraged Crawford to resist his wife’s demand that he undergo polygraph testing in order to remain in the marriage.
“I’m like, sure … I can beat those anyway,” Crawford replied.
Elizabeth Calabria, a friend of Frances, told the jury that Frances had confided that she no longer believed her husband would change.
“She said she hoped he would actually fail the polygraph because it was an agreement of the reconciliation,” Ms Calabria said. “She was just at the point where she’d given up hope.”
The jury also heard from Peter Wuttke, a pilot who knew Crawford through the RAAF and exchanged text messages with him on the night Frances died.
Mr Wuttke said Crawford told him at about 9pm that Frances wanted him to bring the mower under cover. “It’s my understanding that Rob believes she’s moved the mower at some point,” he said.
The trial before Justice Lincoln Crowley continues on Wednesday.
