Detective criticised Lynette Dawson disappearance investigation as inadequate

Veteran Detective Damian Loone has broken ranks and criticised an early police investigation into the disappearance of Lynette Dawson as inadequate but denied he had called other officers “meatheads”.

Veteran Detective Damian Loone has broken ranks and criticised an early police investigation into the disappearance of Lynette Dawson as inadequate but denied he had called other officers “meatheads”.

Retired former Detective Sergeant Damian Loone has however denied under cross-examination in the Supreme Court that he had “ignored” evidence that backed up Lynette’s husband’s claim that she had walked out on him.

“I reject that completely,” Mr Loone said when questioned by Dawson’s counsel Pauline David.

Dawson, 73, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife between January 8 and 9m 1982. The former teacher and Newtown Jets footballer claims Ms Dawson, 33, walked out of their home at Bayview in Sydney’s northern beaches leaving their two daughters behind.

Witness Damian Loone leaves Federal Court on Thursday after giving evidence in the trial of Chris Dawson. Picture: Nikki Short

The prosecution alleges Dawson murdered her so he could move his young lover known as JC, who he met as a Year 11 student, into their home.

Mr Loone has already told the court that when he was tasked in 1998 with reinvestigating Ms Dawson’s disappearance, he was given just a one-page missing person’s document, a VCR tape and three cassettes of an old police interview with her husband.

Composite image showing Chris and Lynette Dawson and an image of JC. Images tendered to the NSW Supreme Court.

Two other homicide detectives who had in 1990 investigated the disappearance never returned his calls, the court has been told.

Those detectives have said they dropped their investigation after prosecutors’ advice that they couldn’t disprove claims Ms Dawson had been seen alive.

Mr Loone was recalled to the witness box as the prosecution winds up its case.

Rebecca Hazel, who has written an as-yet unreleased book about Ms Dawson’s disappearance after meeting JC at a women’s refuge where they met, has told the court about conversations she allegedly had with Mr Loone in 2012.

Mr Loone denied her evidence that he described earlier investigators as “meatheads” although he agreed the earlier investigation was inadequate.

Author Rebecca Hazel pictured as she leaves the Supreme Court after giving evidence in the Dawson case, Sydney CBD. Picture: Damian Shaw

Ms Hazel has claimed that Mr Loone told her: “When I got given this job I said to my team it’s unlikely we will arrest someone and the other two cops said ‘Oh well’ as if it didn’t matter and that pissed me off.

“As I get older I’m more determined. Everyone knows me. Everyone knows I’m after him.”

Cross-examined by Ms David on Monday, the retired Detective said he could not recall that conversation.

Ms David put it to Mr Loone: “Did it piss you off that you may not get to arrest someone?”

Mr Loone said: “No not at all”.

He rejected suggestions had not properly investigated Dawson’s claim that he had received a phone call from his wife on January 9 at Northbridge Baths to tell him she needed some time alone.

Chris Dawson leaves the Federal Court on Wednesday Dawson is facing trial for the murder of his wife in the 1980s. Picture: Nikki Short

Dawson’s best man, former teacher Philip Day, who has since died, was also at the baths that day but no statement was taken from him. Mr Loone had not mentioned in his notes that he had spoken to Mr Day only that he had been the best man, Ms David said.

Ms Loone ignored a suggestion from Mr David that Mr Day could corroborate Chris Dawson’s claim about the phone call.

He also denied s suggestion that he had told Ms Hazel that Mr Day was one of the “red herrings” put out by Dawson to back his claim that Ms Dawson was still alive.

News Corp journalist Hedley Thomas, who produced the Teacher’s Pet podcast about the case, has been called as a witness at the request of the defence and denied a suggestion he had been on a “campaign to incite prejudice against Dawson”.

The trial before Justice Ian Harrison continues.