Federal prosecutors are considering how to proceed with fraud charges against a Queensland mother acquitted of killing her son with a painkiller-spiked smoothie, and who had another murder charge for another of her children dropped.
Earlier this year, Maree Mavis Crabtree, 59, was found not guilty of killing her son Jonathan at the family’s home in Maudsland in the Gold Coast in 2017.
At the beginning of her five-week trial, Crabtree pleaded not guilty to murder and to making a fraudulent $125,000 insurance claim on her son’s superannuation.
A jury found her not guilty after deliberating for nearly 2½ days.
Crabtree was also facing a charge of murder over the death of her daughter Erin in 2012. The charge was dropped by prosecutors in June in the Supreme Court.
Crabtree is charged with several federal fraud-related offences, and is facing one state fraud charge.
The District Court heard on Thursday that Crabtree had been acquitted of her murder charge, and the Commonwealth prosecution was considering whether, and to what extent, that would affect the federal fraud charges.
The federal prosecution sought a four-week adjournment to allow for further consideration.
Crown prosecutor Zachary Kaplan said the state of Queensland was ready to proceed on its single fraud charge for Crabtree, but it would wait until the federal indictments were finalised before progressing its charge.
Kate Droney, representing Crabtree, said she would speak to her client about her instructions and seek an updated statement of facts.
Judge Tony Moynihan adjourned the case to next be heard on August 20.
Get alerts on significant breaking news as happens. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert.
Cloe Read is the crime and court reporter at Brisbane Times.Connect via X or email.From our partners
Read the full article here
