Robert John Crawford, a 47-year-old former air force pilot, has successfully argued against charges of breaching bail conditions following allegations linked to the murder of his wife. Crawford was arrested after his wife, Frances, was discovered deceased near a lawnmower at their property in rural Upper Lockyer, Queensland, in July 2024. He faces serious charges of murder and interfering with a corpse, having been charged in October 2024.
During a recent bail hearing at Toowoomba Magistrates Court, Crawford was accused of not responding to police when they knocked on his door at 1:55 am on June 13, violating his bail conditions which included a nightly curfew from 8 pm to 8 am. His bail was initially granted in May under stringent conditions due to the gravity of the charges against him.
The court heard conflicting accounts of the incident. Police prosecutor Anita Page presented body camera footage of the officer attempting to make contact with Crawford, but defence counsel Andrew McGinness argued that Crawford was asleep and didn’t hear the knocks. The defence maintained that the police did not exert enough effort to notify Crawford of their presence, such as calling out or shining a flashlight into the house.
Magistrate Mark Howden, after reviewing the evidence and watching the footage, concluded that Crawford was indeed asleep during the police visit and therefore could not have breached his bail conditions. His decision rested on the lack of evidence that Crawford was made aware of the police at that time.
Crawford, who attended court in formal attire, refrained from speaking to media as he left the courthouse. A committal hearing in relation to the murder charge is set for October 8 at Ipswich Magistrates Court. Following his charges, Crawford had been suspended from the Royal Australian Air Force in October 2024 and subsequently left the Australian Defence Force in April 2025.
This case will continue to be closely followed as it unfolds, highlighting the complexities of bail conditions amidst serious criminal allegations.