D-Day arrives for Chris Dawson over teen sex charge

Chris Dawson will learn his fate on Wednesday after standing trial over allegations he carried on a sexual relationship with an underage teenage schoolgirl.

Convicted killer Chris Dawson will learn his fate on Wednesday after standing trial over allegations he engaged in sexual activities with an underage schoolgirl in the 1980s.

Dawson, 74, faced a judge-alone trial in the NSW District Court where he battled allegations that he engaged in sexual activities with a year 11 student during his time as a teacher at a Sydney school.

The convicted wife-killer pleaded not guilty to one count of carnal knowledge.

Following a judge-alone trial held in late May and earlier this month, Judge Sarah Huggett will on Wednesday morning at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court hand down her verdict.

During the trial, there was no dispute that Dawson engaged in sexual activities with the female student, who can only be known as “AB” due to an order of the court.

However, what was disputed by Mr Dawson’s counsel Claire Wasley was the timing of the first occasion in which they engaged in sexual activity.

AB told the court during her testimony that she was “groomed” by Dawson in the playground before they first engaged in sexual activity at his parent’s Maroubra home in about August or September 1980.

She said his parents were away at a holiday house and he let himself into their Chester St home using a spare key before they engaged in sexual activities on his parents’ bed.

At that time, AB was 16 years old and enrolled in year 11 at the Sydney school where Dawson taught physical education.

Chris Dawson stood trial over allegations he had sex with an underage schoolgirl in the 1980s. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Vincent de Gouw.

During her testimony, AB told the court that afterwards he asked if she was ok and said: “I hope this was helpful”, “it was a good start” and “you did really well”.

“I was told to keep it a secret,” AB said.

However, through Ms Wasley, Dawson claimed that their sexual relationship did not begin until the following year, when she was in year 12 in 1981.

The court heard that AB turned 17-years-old in February, 1981.

“It is not submitted that it was an appropriate one, just that it did not commence whilst she was in (year 11),” Ms Wasley argued during the trial.

AB claimed Dawson first came across her when she was in year 10, when a topless photo of her began circulating around the school and he handed it back to her.

AB said that Dawson later told her that he manoeuvred so that he would teach her class the following year.

Dawson’s legal team disputed that he had any control over the students in his class.

AB testified that Dawson left “hundreds” of love notes in her school bag and gave her cards on special occasions.

AB said she would sometimes accompany Chris to exercise classes at Lindfield school, which he taught with his twin brother Paul.

She said on one occasion she engaged in sexual activity with Dawson in the Lindfield school’s pool, while at the other end Paul engaged in sexual activity with another young girl.

Paul Dawson has not been charged with any offence.

Chris Dawson pleaded not guilty to one count of carnal knowledge. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Damian Shaw.

AB gave evidence that Dawson made an “improper” advance to her during a driving lesson.

And on a later occasion, she engaged in sexual activity with him for the first time, she told the court.

The driving lesson emerged as a key issue during the trial as it is at the heart of her timeline of events and when she says the first sexual activity occurred.

The court has heard she was not eligible to receive her learner’s permit until November 1980.

According to the indictment, Dawson is accused of engaging in sexual activities with the teen between July 1 and December 31 of 1980.

In her evidence, she later said the “improper” act may have in fact occurred when they were spending time in the car.

She added that he often drove her to exercise classes and other places, and it may not have been a driving lesson.

“I suggest that’s something you made up in the witness box just now,” Ms Wasley said.

“No, I don’t make these things up. This happened to me,” AB said as she became tearful during her evidence.

And during her closing address, Ms Wasley accused AB of lying about Dawson’s actions during the driving lesson.

Chris Dawson was last year found guilty of murdering his wife Lynette Dawson. Picture: Supplied.

The court was also read an excerpt from her year 11 report card in which Dawson wrote that she was a “pleasure to teach”.

“(AB) worked well in class and made valuable contributions in discussions. A very pleasant personality, a pleasure to teach,” Dawson wrote at the time.

During her evidence, AB claimed “pleasure to teach” had a double meaning which referred to their sexual activities

“He was referring to the lessons I’d learned in sexual activity that he had taught me,” AB said, noting that Dawson told her he thought it was “clever”.

However Ms Wasley said: “It’s also something that’s very easy to make up.”

The Crown relied, in part, on the evidence of several of AB’s former schoolmates who said they saw Dawson and AB together in the schoolyard and his office.

The court heard that Dawson and AB were often sighted around the school playground together and she would spend her breaks in his office.

One of AB’s former schoolmates said that she noticed her friend began going missing during recess and lunch around the first half of 1980.

She said she and her friends would often go to Dawson’s office and knock on the door, asking for AB to come out.

“Once I opened the door and I saw her sitting on his lap,” the woman said.

The defence disputed that AB was ever seen sitting on his lap.

And Ms Wasley said the fact they were seen together was consistent with the “counselling” type relationship he had with the young girl.

Dawson has already been told that he can expect to die in prison after he was last year sentenced to a minimum of 18 years for the murder of his wife Lynette Simms who disappeared from their Bayview home in early 1982.

Dawson has flagged his intention to appeal against his murder conviction.

Originally published as D-Day arrives for Chris Dawson over teen sex charge