‘Heart-wrenching selfish act’: Chris Dawson’s daughter breaks down in court

Chris Dawson has returned to court, where he gave a cold response to his daughter’s tearful statement.

Wife killer Chris Dawson has been called a “conniving monster” after he avoided eye-contact with his daughter as she told of the moment she had to explain to her daughter why her “grandfather killed her grandmother”.

Shanelle Dawson stared at her father as he faced the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday for submissions on sentence and pleaded for him to reveal where Lynette Dawson’s body is.

The former Newtown Jets player and teacher has been waiting to learn his fate after he was in August convicted of killing his wife Lynette 40 years ago.

The 74-year-old on Thursday returned to the NSW Supreme Court, where Justice Ian Harrison heard submissions from Dawson’s lawyers and Crown prosecutors about how much time he should spend behind bars.

The court fell silent as Dawson was ushered into the dock wearing his prison greens tracksuit just after noon – the first time he has been seen since entering jail 10 weeks ago.

He briefly spoke with his lawyer before Justice Ian Harrison began the hearing and his eldest daughter Shanelle took to the victim box to read an emotional victim impact statement.

Shanelle Dawson (centre), the daughter of Lynette Dawson and her killer, Chris Dawson, read an emotional victim impact statement. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Shanelle, who was just four when her mother disappeared, stared her father down before she began talking and told him “you are not God” after he lied about her mother’s death for 41 years.

“There are not enough words in the English language to describe the impact of 41 years of deceit, trauma, silence and gaslighting,” Shanelle told her father.

“The fact the father I loved and trusted is capable of such a heart-wrenching selfish, brutal and misogynistic act.”

Shanelle told the court she went to “great lengths” to keep her father’s act a secret from her young daughter.

But she had to reveal what happened after a friend had told her.

“I had to tell my beautiful, innocent daughter why her grandfather killed her grandmother,” Shanelle said through tears.

“She had many questions … confusion, anger, grief. She kept asking why did he do that – the same question that’s tortured me for many years.

“Why didn’t you just divorce her … because of money for God’s sake?”

Dawson kept his head down and eyes closed while his eldest daughter addressed him.

Chris Dawson kept his eyes closed. Picture NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

Shanelle said her mother was made “invisible” throughout her childhood, as there were no photos or memories of her mother shared with her.

The 45-year-old said the lies of her father “messed her up” and she lost the “protection” her father was supposed to provide.

While she stared at her dad, she asked him one final question.

“Please tell us where she is,” Shanelle said.

“I want my life back … I hope you will finally tell us the truth.”

“CONNIVING MONSTER”

Prior to Shanelle taking the stand, a victim impact statement written by Lynette’s brother Gregory Simms was also read to the court by a representative.

Chris Dawson was seen in court on Thursday for the first time in 10 weeks. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Vincent de Gouw

“You were accepted into our family unconditionally when you married Lyn,” the statement opened.

“We considered you an equal in all respects, we trusted you and you repaid us by committing the ultimate betrayal.

“You betrayed us and belittled us by taking Lyn away.”

In his statement, Greg Simms said Dawson had caused the entire family “heartache”.

Mr Simms said Dawson was “hellbent on one thing – getting what you wanted at any cost”.

“It was a brazen act of a conniving monster hell bent on one thing, getting what you wanted at any cost,” Simms said.

In a reference to Shanelle, the statement said Dawson had “no love for her”.

“You just pushed her out of your life without support, leaving her virtually a pauper,” the statement said.

”The way you kept our mother thinking Lynette was still alive and going to ring her was lower than low.”

Dawson’s actions were ‘lower than low’. Picture: John Grainger

A victim impact statement was also read to the court on behalf of Lynette’s sister Patricia Jenkins, who described the “deep, dark void” of losing her sister.

“I was in shock and traumatised to get the news of Lyn’s disappearance and it brings me to tears now to remember that time,” the statement said.

“I was confused, alarmed, distressed and in a deep, dark void, not knowing what had happened to my sister.”

Once the victim impact statements were read to the court, Dawson’s defence solicitor Greg Walsh tendered documents to the court, including a statement from the 74-year-old’s third daughter in support of her father.

“HEINOUS MURDER”

Crown Prosecutor Craig Everson SC told the court the “domestic violence murder” of Dawson’s wife was “heinous” and caused substantial harm to other people.

He outlined five factors that he said Justice Harrison should consider in determining the killer’s sentence, including Dawson’s state of mind, his preparation and planning, the domestic violence factor, how Lynette’s body was “concealed” and that “substantial harm was caused to others”.

“The deliberate and conscious act of the offender was done with the intention to kill,” Mr Everson said.

The prosecutor told the court Dawson had shown “no remorse” and the lack of criminal record did not mitigate the offence.

“The offender’s campaign to hide information left the victim’s parents and family in a state of anxiety for decades,” he said.

Chris Dawson was found guilty of killing his wife Lynette 40 years ago. Picture: Supplied

DECLINING ILLNESS AND MEDIA SCRUTINY

Mr Walsh’s told the court Dawson’s health has declined both mentally and physically throughout his ten weeks behind bars.

He raised the fact the 74-year-old is suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a “terrible disease we are coming to live with” and result of his days playing football.

Dawson is also suffering from dementia, a heart condition and a fractured hip injury, the court was told.

“He’s having trouble in custody with verbal consciousness, slurring of his words,” Mr Walsh told the court.

“He can’t recall the name of the jail he’s in at the moment.”

Mr Walsh said his client is “constantly taunted and threatened” in prison as a result of “the most constant and egregious publicity that one has seen”.

He told the court it has been “constant” for at least two decades, portraying Dawson in “the most egregious way”.

Mr Walsh said Dawson was portrayed in the media as “immoral and calculating”.

The court was told Dawson is often referred to as “the teacher’s pet” and taunted in prison.

“Unless he is successful in his appeal he will die in jail,” Mr Walsh told media outside the Supreme Court.

On August 30, Justice Harrison found Dawson told decades of lies to cover up killing his wife in January 1982.

In a gruelling five-hour judgment he found Dawson was “infatuated” and “obsessed” with a former student and the couple’s babysitter – who can only be referred to as JC – and that drove him to murder his wife.

Justice Harrison ruled the mother of two was dead and had not left her home of her own accord.

He said he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Dawson did not abandon her family and would not have left her two daughters and dismissed claims she had been alive after January 1982.

The 74-year-old is waiting to learn his fate. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“I am left in no doubt. I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the only rational inference (is that) Lynette Dawson died on or about 8 January, 1982, as a result of conscious or voluntary act committed by Christopher Dawson,” the judge said.

Mr Walsh has previously said that Dawson continues to deny killing his wife and “asserts that he’s innocent”.

Since the guilty verdict, police have continued their search for Ms Dawson’s body and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Dawson’s lawyers have filed a notice of intention to appeal on his behalf.

The 74-year-old will learn his fate on December 2.