Graeme Davidson, a former army major, has been granted bail after being charged with the murder of his wife, Jacqueline, during a kayaking trip in November 2020 at Lake Samsonvale, north of Brisbane. The 55-year-old was taken into custody in May following a police investigation that questioned the circumstances of his wife’s death, which had initially been deemed accidental.
During recent hearings in the Queensland Supreme Court, Justice Tom Sullivan noted that the prosecution’s case is largely circumstantial, suggesting that Davidson may have murdered his wife in a remote area under clear weather. Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco revealed that Davidson, who has since moved to Thailand and remarried, allegedly joked years earlier about killing his wife if she pursued a divorce, a comment that mirrored the allegations against him.
Davidson’s defence lawyer, Craig Eberhardt, argued that the comments were not made with malicious intent and that there was no prior history of domestic violence for the accused. Eberhardt stated that during the kayaking trip, Davidson witnessed his wife fall into the water, but was unable to locate her for several critical minutes due to murky conditions.
The prosecution also accused Davidson of committing fraud by attempting to claim life insurance benefits exceeding $1 million following Jacqueline’s death. Eberhardt defended this by stating that the life insurance policy was established by the couple’s financial planner, indicating it would have been questionable for Davidson not to pursue a claim.
Justice Sullivan, while acknowledging the prosecution’s concerns about Davidson being a flight risk, imposed strict bail conditions to mitigate this risk. Davidson must report to police daily, wear a tracking device, and adhere to an overnight curfew, among other restrictions, including a ban on being within 5 km of international transport hubs. The judge remarked that while Davidson has access to substantial funds, the lack of an extradition treaty with Thailand means he would face challenges if he attempted to flee.
Davidson’s family, including his daughters and son-in-law, have provided a surety of $250,000 to support his bail application. As the case progresses, Davidson remains under closely monitored conditions as he awaits further legal proceedings.
Support services are available for those affected by domestic violence through the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).