Judge Raises Concerns About Prosecution’s Case Against Mother Accused of Murder
The trial related only to the death in the family’s Maudsland, Gold Coast home of the 26-year-old who had a brain injury from a car crash.
A woman who has been behind bars for more than six years accused of murdering her two adult children has sobbed as a judge questioned whether there is any prospect of her being convicted.
Jurors were discharged on February 6 in the Brisbane trial of Maree Mavis Crabtree who had pleaded not guilty to one count each of murder, attempted murder, and attempted insurance fraud.
The Crown alleged Crabtree, now 57, murdered her son Jonathan Crabtree by giving him an overdose of prescription drugs in a fruit smoothie in July 2017 after trying to poison him earlier that same year.
The trial related only to the death in the family’s Maudsland, Gold Coast home of the 26-year-old who had a brain injury from a car crash.
Crabtree was also committed in 2021 – but is yet to stand trial – for the alleged murder in 2012 of her daughter Erin, 18.
Justice Peter Davis discharged the Supreme Court jury on February 6, saying new information had come to light.
“What has since been discovered is that there are hundreds if not thousands of pages of documents which have been provided by the Adult Guardian upon subpoena which may be relevant to the case,” Justice Davis said.
The Public Trustee is also likely to have documents, he said.
“It is in the interests of justice that these inquiries are made and proper opportunity given to the defense to study the material.”
In the trial opening crown prosecutor Philip McCarthy KC said Jonathan’s younger sister Tara would tell the court of standing lookout when Crabtree mixed a drink containing oxycodone.
On Tuesday, Justice Davis said the Crown agreed it could only succeed on any of the three counts if the jury accepted Tara’s evidence.
He said there were significant problems with that evidence.
Tara was “mentally compromised”, had a motivation to lie about her mother, has given various inconsistent versions,…
…based on a story Tara told two years after his death.
Mr. Edwards told the jury the whole trial was about whether they believed Tara’s story was honest and consistent with independent evidence.
It was possible Jonathan had accidentally or deliberately taken a drug overdose, he said.
Crabtree is due to apply for bail and have her cases mentioned on February 6.
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