A crumpled note found at the bottom of Jonathan Crabtree’s bin has emerged as evidence in the final days of his mother’s murder trial.
Maree Mavis Crabtree is accused of murder, attempted murder and attempted fraud relating to the death of Jonathan Crabtree on July 19, 2017.
It is alleged the Gold Coast mother fatally poisoned her son using a fruit juice laced with prescription medications, including oxycodone.
She is then accused of trying to collect on his superannuation payout despite knowing she was not entitled to the claim.
She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Jonathan was found dead, lying sideways on his bed frame with his feet still on the ground.
The trial is now in its fourth week before Brisbane Supreme Court, with the prosecution reaching the end of its case.
On Tuesday, the jury saw evidence of a note left in Jonathan’s bedside bin, found by detectives upon a search of his room.
The note, spoken aloud to the court, read: “hey mum, my brian (sic) is keep telling me to do this. I want you, Maree, to have my share of …”
The court was told other sections of the note were indistinct.
Retired Detective Sergeant Stephen Taylor said the note was the “very last” item in the bin, underneath rotting orange scraps, various receipts dating back months and McDonald’s food packaging from Jonathan’s last known meal.
“(It was) right at the bottom of the bin and crumpled … stuck to the oranges,” Mr Taylor said.
Mr Taylor told the court investigators had considered the note extensively; although clarified it was the food packaging that first drew their interest to the bin.
“We were looking at all vessels that somebody could have ingested,” he said.
Resuming court on Friday, the jury was presented with a list of agreed claims between the defence and the prosecution, including from a handwriting expert regarding the note.
The expert gave their opinion that there was “qualified support” the note was written by Jonathan Crabtree, adding there was limitations to their analysis.
In his evidence on Tuesday, Mr Taylor also told the court the last known activity on Jonathan’s devices was at 2.44pm on July 18, the day before he was found dead.
In cross examination, Mr Taylor said various medical equipment including hypodermic needles, a blood vial, sharps container and clear plastic syringes were found near Jonathan’s bed.
In the agreed claims tendered on Friday, the jury was told the DNA profile of the blood matched Jonathan Crabtree; however, it could not be determined when the blood was drawn, when it was placed in the bedside table, or the condition in which it was stored.
The court was told the blood was tested and found to contain a mixture of prescription medications including 0.03mg/kg of oxycodone and 0.02mg/kg of noroxycodone.
At the close of Mr Taylor’s evidence, the Crown closed their case against Ms Crabtree.
Ms Crabtree’s barrister Angus Edwards KC said the Gold Coast mother would not give or call evidence in response.
Both parties are set to give their closing statements on Tuesday next week before Justice Martin Burns and the jury.
