Dr Brian Crickitt murder trial

Dr Brian Crickitt

The scenario is pretty clever - how to commit the perfect murder. 

Inject your wife with insulin, knowing that after 24 hours, no sign of it will be left in the body.

But how to stop an autopsy being done before the 24 hours is up?

Do it on New Year's Eve, knowing that it is very unlikely an autopsy would be done the next day.

Sydney doctor Brian Crickitt is standing trial for the murder of his wife Christine on New Year's Eve 2009.

Crown Prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC told the court that at the time of his wife's death, he was having an affair with Linda Livermore and they were planning a future together.

He went on to claim that he murdered his wife so he could collect $500,000 life insurance, marry his mistress, and keep their shared property assets.  He also claimed that Dr Crickitt searched on Google for 'intentional insulin overdose' and information about symptoms the day before she died.

Mr Tedeschi told the judge-only trial that the doctor wrote a prescription for fast-acting insulin under another patient's name and filled it himself at a Campbelltown pharmacy on 31 December 2009.

Crickitt told police he spent the night in a park after an argument with his wife but the prosecution suggested he really spent it with his lover and later took her to view his wife's body at the morgue.

Because the doctor knew that insulin degrades quickly in the body, Mr Tedeschi told Justice Clifton Hoeben the doctor "deliberately chose New Year's Eve knowing it was highly unlikely an autopsy would be done on New Year's Day."

And sure enough, on 2nd January, the autopsy showed no clear cause of death.

Defence Barrister Tim Gartelmann SC disputes that insulin was the cause or even a factor in Mrs Crickitt's death and that ultimately, the cause of death still remains unresolved.

Mark Tedeschi QC

This case, as all others with Mr Tedeschi leading the charge, will be very interesting.