Murder trial against Maree Mavis Crabtree delayed

The trial against a mum who allegedly killed her son by giving him a lethal smoothie has come to a grinding halt.

The trial against a Gold Coast mum who allegedly killed her son by giving him a lethal smoothie laced with drugs will be delayed for two days until things get “sorted”, a jury has been told.

Maree Mavis Crabtree, 57, is standing trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court for murder, attempted murder and attempted fraud following the death of her son Jonathan Crabtree, 26, in July 2017.

On Wednesday morning, Justice Peter Davis told the jury that he’d decided to adjourn the trial until 10am on Friday.

Maree Mavis Crabtree is standing trial over the alleged murder of her 26-year-old son Jonathan.

“There’s been there’s been some developments overnight that’s led me to the conclusion that there has to be some steps taken in the meantime,” Justice Davis said.

“That’s what I’ve decided.

“I’m sorry to have brought you in for a two-minute cameo this morning but sometimes these things just have to be sorted.”

The jury was excused on day three of the trial and will return on Friday.

Mr Crabtree died of a suspected overdose of oxycodone, plus a combination of other drugs, in his Maudsland home on the Gold Coast on July 19, 2017.

The court was told his mother was later charged with his murder after she allegedly blended the drugs into a smoothie she made in the kitchen of the home she shared with her son and daughter, Tara.

The Crown alleges Mrs Crabtree used her daughter’s medication to make the poisonous drink before giving it to her son.

The Crabtrees lived in the same house in Maudsland.

Crown prosecutor Philip McCarthy KC told the jury during his opening address on Monday that Mrs Crabtree also tried to claim her son’s insurance following his death.

It’s alleged the insurance claim was more than $100,000.

Mrs Crabtree is also accused of attempting to murder her son in January 2017.

He’d been taken to hospital after it was suspected the 26-year-old had attempted suicide.

Police photographs were shown to the jury on Tuesday of Mr Crabtree’s Spider-Man backpack found in his bedroom.

The photographs showed the multiple prescription medication bottles and blister packs found in the backpack.

The jury was then played an audio recording on Tuesday of Mrs Crabtree telling police during an interview at her home about her son’s drug addiction.

“I begged the police to get help, I begged the ambulance to get help, I begged Robina (hospital) to help,” Mrs Crabtree said in the police audio.

“I rang every chemist on the coast to beg them not to serve him, but look at what he’s got.”

The jury was previously told Mr Crabtree had suffered serious brain injury after a car crash in 2015 and was in the process of getting an insurance payout before he died.

His mother told police in the recorded interview played to the jury that her son had met with a specialist the day before he was found dead as part of the insurance claim.

A court drawing of Mrs Crabtree sitting in the dock at Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday. Artwork by Scott Breton / NCA NewsWire

In the audio, Mrs Crabtree said her son had told her it was “the best day he ever had” after learning he’d been approved for the payout.

However, she did tell police in the recording that the specialist had told her son he was going to most likely end up in a geriatric home, which had upset him.

“I don’t know if he’s had a heart attack, I did not see a suicide coming,” Mrs Crabtree said in the recording played to the court on Tuesday.

“It’s just devastated me, I couldn’t believe it.”

The trial will resume on Friday.