3 months ago
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By Rex Martinich
August 6, 2025 — 4.06pm
A former army major who allegedly joked about killing his wife has applied for bail after being accused of murdering her during a kayaking trip.
Graeme Davidson’s family on Wednesday offered $250,000 as surety in an attempt to secure his release on bail following the murder charge.
His 54-year-old wife, Jacqueline, drowned while kayaking with Davidson on Lake Samsonvale, north of Brisbane, in November 2020.
Graeme Davidson is accused of killing wife Jacqueline on Lake Samsonvale in south-east Queensland.Credit: Facebook/Supplied
Davidson, who now lives in Thailand, was charged with murder in May after a police investigation raised doubts that his wife’s death was accidental.
Justice Tom Sullivan on Wednesday heard the final defence and prosecution submissions on Davidson’s bail application, which had stretched over three days in Queensland’s Supreme Court.
Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco said Davidson had joked about planning to kill his wife in circumstances that would later come to mirror the allegations against him.
“This was made about three years prior to Jacqueline’s death,” Marco said.
“Davidson told [another man] if the deceased ever sought a divorce and made a claim to his military pension, he would kill her and move to Thailand, which is of course what he allegedly did.”
Defence barrister Craig Eberhardt said Davidson’s comment had no sinister implication in its full context.
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Sullivan heard Davidson had no history of domestic violence.
“He was a major in the Australian army and a captain in the British army. He has no prior criminal record,” Eberhardt said.
He said Ms Davidson did discover her husband was having an affair in 2018, but by 2020, there were no domestic disputes in the marriage.
Sullivan heard the defence would argue there was no forensic evidence or statements from witnesses at the lake that would show violence towards Ms Davidson.
Eberhardt said Davidson had seen his wife fall into the water while they were on separate kayaks, and had been prevented from finding her for multiple minutes due to the dark and murky water.
Sullivan heard Ms Davidson could have felt faint from a heart murmur, but Marco said there was no evidence from the autopsy to prove a heart condition.
Police have accused Davidson of fraud by making a life insurance claim and trying to make another after his wife’s death, to the combined value of more than $1 million.
Eberhardt said the life insurance policy was set up by the couple’s financial planner, and it would have been suspicious for him not to make a claim.
Marco said Ms Davidson had a life insurance policy that covered for all circumstances, but her husband was only covered for accidental death.
Davidson’s two daughters offered $50,000 each for surety, and his de facto son-in-law $150,000.
Marco opposed bail, saying Davidson was a flight risk as he no longer had strong ties to Australia.
But Eberhardt said Davidson did not have the resources to flee overseas like notorious Melbourne drug trafficker Tony Mokbel.
“Even Tony Mokbel got caught 10 years later,” he said.
Sullivan said he would hand down his bail decision on Friday.
If you or someone you know needs help, phone Lifeline on 13 11 14, 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
AAP
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