Chris Dawson’s lawyer says he has received death threats in jail after murder conviction

Chris Dawson has received death threats in jail and his lawyer has today asked the Supreme Court to order he is kept in protective “non-association” custody.

Chris Dawson has received death threats in jail and his lawyer on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to order he is kept in protective “non-association” custody.

“He has said that there are large numbers...threatening his life,” Dawson’s solicitor Greg Walsh told the court.

Dawson was back in court in person, this time as a convicted wife killer after the guilty verdict in his trial on Tuesday.

Wearing prison greens and a blue Covid mask, Dawson was brought from the maximum security Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre where he was taken from Surry Hills police cell on Wednesday afternoon to be processed into the prison system.

He looked healthier than he had on Tuesday as he listened for five hours as Justice Ian Harrison read out the verdict. Dawson’s face had become redder and redder and he had looked catatonic.

Chris Dawson was found guilty of murdering his wife earlier this week.

The former rugby star and sports teacher, 74, will not be applying for bail.

Submissions on what sentence he will face will not take place until November 11.

Justice Harrison convicted him of murdering his first wife Lynette Dawson, 33, on January 8 1982 and disposing of her body either alone or in company.

The judge said Dawson had been motivated by his obsession with his schoolgirl lover JC who moved into the family’s Bayview home on January 11.

Chris Dawson's lawyer Greg Walsh speaks to media outside court Thursday morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

The judge rejected Dawson’s “lies” that she had walked out on their marriage leaving their two young daughters and all her jewellery and clothes behind.

Dawson was led out of the door in the dock into the court accompanied by corrective services officers and allowed to sit next to Mr Walsh at the bar table.

Justice Harrison said Dawson was entitled to be given appropriate physical protection and medical assistance in prison and said he would be “the first person” to recommend that he be kept apart from other inmates.

“I can’t say that with enough force,” the judge said.

Outside court, Mr Walsh said Dawson was “in shock and sad about his predicament, and worried about his children”.

He said that Dawson maintained his innocence and would be appealing the guilty verdict.

Even in protective custody, prison could be dangerous, he said.

Mr Walsh said Dawson faced the prospect of dying behind bars.

“Of course, the crime of which he’s been convicted is the most serious we know, in circumstances where he’s been found guilty of murdering his wife,” Mr Walsh said.

“So he faces either life imprisonment or possibly a lesser sentence which nevertheless would mean that he will die in jail.”

Mr Walsh said he had not had the chance to speak to Dawson at length but he “seems to have shut down”.

“He’s very, very sad about his predicament, he’s worried about his children, he’s worried about his loved ones,” Mr Walsh said.

He said there was no prospect that Dawson would successfully get bail.

“Giving it proper thought, I don’t believe there was any chance and there would be no point in making an application to this court in circumstances where it was doomed to failure,” he said.

Dawson’s defence team have already flagged an appeal and Mr Walsh said he would analyse the 268-page judgment before drafting the grounds of appeal.

“I could not express a proper view at this stage as to my level of confidence,” he said.

There was none of the media scrum that followed Tuesday’s verdict with no members of either Dawson’s family or the family of his late wife in court.

The case was adjourned to a date to be fixed.