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Mum hid fatal painkillers in son’s smoothie, jury told

A mother gave her adult son a lethal smoothie following disputes over money and the family's intolerable living situation, a jury has been told.

Maree Mavis Crabtree has been accused of killing her 26-year-old son, Jonathan, with an overdose of painkillers on July 19, 2017, in the family's home north of the Gold Coast before making a $125,000 insurance claim.

The 59-year-old has also been accused of attempting to murder her son in January of the same year.

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Crabtree pleaded not guilty to the murder, attempted murder and fraud charges when her trial began at Brisbane Supreme Court today.

Her son was found dead by paramedics while lying on his bed at 9.55am with his legs hanging down to the floor and a Spider-Man backpack at his feet, Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco told the jury.

"A pathologist determined the cause of his sudden and unexpected death was an excessive amount of the drug oxycodone in his bloodstream," she said.

Investigators did not find the prescription painkiller or related packaging in the son's room or among his other drugs in the Spider-Man pack.

"The Crown will prove it was his mother who killed him by deliberately giving him a drink in the form of a shake that she prepared with a blender in the kitchen of their home that contained the oxycodone that killed him," Marco said.

The jury was told they would hear from Crabtree's daughter Tara, who would testify that she helped her mother by keeping a lookout as she prepared the drink and of later hearing the son struggling and coughing throughout the night.

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Jonathan Crabtree

"Tara will tell you the next morning her mother told her Jonathan was dead but it was four hours later that (Crabtree) called Triple Zero," Marco said.

"Tara says that was not the first time that her mother had given a drink to Jonathan containing oxycodone with the intent of ending his life."

Jonathan was a "troubled man" with abusive behaviours who used drugs and had been charged with robbing a chemist, the jury heard.

A car crash in 2015 had left him with permanent injuries that meant he required physical care.

Crabtree lived in the Maudsland home that was jointly owned by her two children.

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"She told Tara that Jonathan's involvement in the robbery had put the family's finances in jeopardy, which was the reason why she needed to kill him," Marco said.

Crabtree found her living situation with her son "no longer tolerable" but she did not have the money to buy out his stake of the house, the jury heard.

Investigators found numerous bottles of liquid oxycodone in the family's home and a smoothie blender that tested positive for drugs, Marco said.

Defence barrister Angus Edwards was expected to make an opening statement.

The trial is due to run for five weeks before Justice Martin Burns and hear from 60 witnesses.

Witnesses describe moment decorated soldier was arrested at busy airport

Witnesses have described the moment former ADF soldier Ben Roberts-Smith was taken into custody on the tarmac at Sydney Airport this morning.

Federal detectives were filmed walking through the domestic terminal, just moments before the former SAS soldier was arrested after getting off a flight from Brisbane.

Witnesses described the moment Roberts-Smith was taken into custody.

READ MORE: Ben Roberts-Smith arrested as part of war crimes investigation

Federal Taskforce officers march through Sydney Airport's domestic terminal before the arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith.

"Our plane stopped and then we looked outside and there was two AFP cars and then after that we saw a man get taken into one of the cars and his family followed behind," a passenger said.

"I just saw federal police pull over, taking whatever-his-name-is into the vehicle," another witness said.

"It is a bit of a shock to see the commotion."

READ MORE: How a five-year investigation led to Ben Roberts-Smith's arrest at Sydney Airport

Ben Roberts-Smith arrested at Sydney Airport

Roberts-Smith has always denied any allegations of wrongdoing.

The Victoria Cross recipient was charged this afternoon with five counts of war crime – murder:

  • The war crime of murder, in that he intentionally caused the death of a person, on or about 12 April, 2009, at Kakarak, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
  • The war crime of murder, in that he aided, abetted, counselled or procured another person to intentionally cause the death of a person, on or about 12 April, 2009, at Kakarak, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
  • The war crime of murder, in that he aided, abetted, counselled or procured another person to intentionally cause the death of a person, on or about 11 September, 2012, at Darwan, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
  • The war crime of murder, with another person, in that they intentionally caused the death of a person, on or about 20 October, 2012, in Syahchow, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
  • The war crime of murder, in that he aided, abetted, counselled or procured another person to intentionally cause the death of a person, on or about 20 October, 2012, at Syahchow, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

The maximum penalty for the offence of war crime – murder is life imprisonment if found guilty

It is the second time the Office of the Special Investigator and AFP has laid war crime murder charges against an ADF member in Australia.

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Why full bins are being left on the streets this week

Thousands of Melbourne households will be forced to cram their rubbish into full bins this week, as kerbside collectors from several councils walked off the job today over pay and conditions.

Waste collectors from Hume, Darebin and Merri-bek councils began strike action this morning, seeking a 10 per cent pay increase this year, followed by 4 per cent increases every year over the next three years.

"They have watched their wages fall by 10 per cent in real terms over the last four years," Australian Services Union (ASU) National Branch Secretary Tash Wark said.

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ASU Waste collection strike

Household bins and public bins across Melbourne's north weren't emptied today, forcing residents to wait another week until they are collected.

The City of Hume was the worst hit, with around 70 workers walking off the job.

Merri-Bek and Darebin councils were able to bring in in casual staff to minimise the impact on ratepayers. 

Wark said residents in Hume would "have to wait".

"We're sorry about that, but we need to make sure our members are seen and heard."

Council worker wages have fallen between seven and 12 per cent since 2021, according to the union.

"ASU members have had a gutful of being left behind while the rate capping policy has really torn down wages in local government," Wark said.

"They're striking today to seek a 10 per cent pay rise, which only goes part of the way to make up from the cost of living and inflation they've been subjected to in the last few years."

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ASU Waste collection strike

Union members claim they haven't received a pay rise in almost two years.

"Our members have been fighting for a year and a half just to get to the table," Wark said.

"Our members are doing this action regretfully, it is not their first choice, they love their jobs, they're really proud of the communities they support but this is where we're at."

Hume garbage collector Jayden Watson said the wage stagnation had put him behind in his goal of buying a home.

"I try to work hard, I try to stay behind and do more hours… [but] I'm falling behind whilst trying to save money," Watson said.

"We all need to pay bills. Some people are struggling to get food on the table."

In a joint response, the affected councils said negotiations with the ASU was ongoing.

"While we acknowledge the legal right of the ASU to take protected industrial action, these actions affect our communities, which is regrettable," the councils said.

"We are keeping our communities informed on how any industrial action may affect them.

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ASU Waste collection strike

"We ask our communities for their patience and we will continue to negotiate in good faith with all unions representing our staff."

In addition to the pause on rubbish collection, parking officers in the the cities of Yarra, Maribyrnong and Melbourne also stopped work today.

Local councils claim they're restricted in what they can offer employees, due to the state government's rate-capping policy. 

"Every time workers sit down to bargain with councils, they're told the rate cap means that they can't meet their demands. It's not good enough," Wark said.

"It's a simple question of priorities: if the government can find money for politicians like councillors whose wages have gone up by over 10 per cent, they can find the money for the people who pick up the rubbish," Wark said.

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But Acting Premier Ben Carroll insisted the rate cap was a vital measure for the broader community.

"The rates cap is a really important cost-of-living measure that supports hardworking Victorians every day," he said. 

A second bargaining meeting was scheduled for today.

If an agreement is not reached at that meeting, further council worker strikes are scheduled for Darebin, Greater Dandenong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melbourne, Merri-Bek and Yarra tomorrow.

"It will be things like parks not being mowed, library disruptions, no parking tickets being issued," Wark said.

"Anything a council worker does is going to get disrupted in the next little while.

"We will keep taking action until members get what they deserve."

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