An army major accused of murdering his wife in a kayak drowning incident after 26 years of marriage left Australia to marry a young Thai bride in his new White Lotus-style life in Thailand.
Graeme Davidson, 55, and his wife Jacqueline, 54, were canoeing on Lake Samsonvale, north of Brisbane, on November 27, 2020 when the mother-of-three drowned.
It was initially thought to be a tragic accident and Queensland Police at the time said there were no suspicious circumstances.
But on Monday, as Davidson made a flying visit back to Australia, detectives swooped to arrest him for his wife’s alleged murder and an attempted $1million life insurance fraud.
Daily Mail Australia can now reveal Davidson left Australia five months after his wife’s death to move to the Thai resort of Hua Hin, 200km south of Bangkok, in April 2021.
And almost two years to the day after his wife’s death, Davidson married his new young Thai bride, Pick Pattraporn, in a traditional ceremony in December 2022.
Dressed in a kilt and wearing an array of medals, Scots-born Davidson was filmed dancing down the street as he tied the knot, surrounded by his new wife’s family and locals.
His adult son and two daughters do not appear in any of the pictures or video from the celebrations which went on late into the night.
Graeme Davidson, 54, has been charged with the murder of his wife Jacqueline (pictured together above)
The alleged killer then married local woman, Pick Pattraporn, in a traditional Thai ceremony surrounded by her family and friends in December 2022
The former military man was arrested on Sunday while visiting Brisbane and charged with murder, fraud and attempted fraud.
Davidson moved to the beachside paradise after his first wife’s tragic death and appears to have been running an estate agent consultancy with his new wife’s help.
The pair are also keen pickleball players at the local sports centre.
The latest season of the HBO drama White Lotus was based in Thailand and focused partly on middle-aged Western men romancing beautiful younger Asian women.
In the show, the Western men were branded LBHs by the women – Losers Back Home.
On his second wedding day, Davidson, originally from Glasgow, was seen grinning alongside his new bride as they posed with fistfuls of cash while toasting each other.
One well wisher congratulated the happy couple admitting she was envious of her friend.
‘My dear friend Pick Pattraporn,’ she wrote under smiling wedding snaps of the couple. ‘I’m glad that my friend’s life has changed so quickly.
‘From already good, to best – envious!’
Davidson – who was a captain in the British Army before moving to Australia, with more than 30 years of military service – was active in Hua Hin’s expat community.
He played a key role in the local Veterans Remembrance Day and was interviewed about his own service on the local English-language Surf Radio, when he encouraged new members to join him for a drink.
One well wisher congratulated the happy couple admitting she was envious of her friend.
Davidson was not initially under investigation by authorities, who first considered his wife’s drowning an accident.
Davidson, originally from Glasgow in Scotland, donned a traditional greet tartan kilt and displayed his military medals as he danced the night away.
It’s believed his son Hamish has since joined him in Thailand and his daughter Robyn recently visited her father in Asia.
Davidson was arrested when detectives burst into the home where he was staying on his trip back to Australia and found him sleeping on a campbed in the lounge room.
A close friend, who has known him since 2010, told Daily Mail Australia of his shock at the arrest.
‘This is very raw and I know the children well,’ said the friend, who wished to remain anonymous.
‘Jacqui was a beautiful woman and very friendly, Graeme was a financially and career-driven individual.’
The former friend of the couple is now helping detectives with their investigation.
Detective Acting Inspector Steve Windsor confirmed the fraud charge concerns money that was allegedly obtained from life insurance claims against his wife’s death.
‘The combined life insurance was in excess of $1 million,’ he said after Davidson’s arrest.
A friend said ‘Jacquie was a beautiful woman and very friendly, Graeme was a financially and career driven individual’
Police will allege Davidson was involved in his wife’s drowning
Jacqueline Davidson, 54, drowned while kayaking with Davidson at Lake Samsonvale north of Brisbane in November 2020
‘And there was an attempted fraud, a claim was made.
‘Incidents are not always what they initially seem, so I thank the detectives for their diligent work in this lengthy and arduous investigation.
‘This is also an important reminder to the community to report any suspicious circumstances to police as you see them.’
Onlookers rushed to help Ms Davidson after she was spotted in the water but she could not be revived when she was brought ashore.
Emergency services performed CPR but she died at the scene.
‘Initially, the woman’s death appeared to be non-suspicious,’ Queensland Police said in a statement.
However, a coronial inquiry led to detectives declaring it suspicious and launching Operation Victor Harlow.
The ‘complex and lengthy’ probe gathered witness and expert statements, including information about the conditions of the lake at the time of Ms Davidson’s death.
The former friend of the couple is now helping police with their investigation. Jacqueline Davidson is pictured above
‘Police will allege the man was involved in the drowning death of the woman,’ police said.
He was refused police bail and made no appearance at Brisbane Magistrates Court when the matter was mentioned on Monday.
Davidson’s served 22 years in the British Army before transferring to the Australian Army. He was based in HQ 1 Division, Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane in 2010.
Davidson will remain in custody, with the matter to be mentioned again on May 19.
