D-Day for Chris Dawson after he killed wife Lynette 40 years ago

Chris Dawson will learn his fate following a decades-long investigation which led to him being convicted of his wife Lynette’s murder.

Wife killer Chris Dawson will return to the NSW Supreme Court as the 40-year-wait for justice will finally come to an end for his wife Lynette’s family.

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

The 74-year-old will return to court on Friday to hear Supreme Court Justice Ian Harrison sentence him for murder.

Dawson last faced the court in November where he avoided eye-contact with his daughter as she begged for him to reveal where Lynette’s body was.

Chris Dawson will face the NSW Supreme Court where he will learn his fate. Picture NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard.

Shanelle Dawson, who was just four when her mother went missing, spoke of the “heart-wrenching, selfish, brutal and misogynistic act” by the father she “loved and trusted”.

“Please tell us where she is,” she said as she came face-to-face with her father for the first time in years.

“You had no right, you are not a God.”

Lynette’s brother Greg Simms stared at Dawson as his victim impact statement was read to the court by a support person.

In his statement, Mr Simms said the 74-year-old was “accepted into the family unconditionally” but ended up “betraying and belittling” them.

He faced a sentence hearing in November where he did not look his daughter in the eye. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Vincent de Gouw

He said Dawson was a “conniving monster hellbent on one thing – getting what you wanted at any cost”.

Crown prosecutor Craig Everson SC told the court the “domestic violence murder” was “heinous” and caused “substantial harm to others”.

He 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.

Defence solicitor Greg Walsh argued Dawson’s offending did not fall into the worst case for objective seriousness.

He said Dawson’s health had declined while behind bars and he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy from playing football, dementia, a heart condition and a fractured hip injury.

Chris Dawson and Lynette Dawson years before she was murdered. Photo: Supplied

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

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

After being found guilty, Dawson was detained at Silverwater Correctional Centre in western Sydney but has since been moved to Macquarie Correctional Centre for his safety.

The court was told in September he was subjected to death threats while on remand at Silverwater.

“He’s been subject to serious death threats by a number of prisoners. It’s not unusual having regard to his profile and the charge he’s been convicted of,” Mr Walsh told reporters at the time.

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

Shanelle Dawson (left) delivered a powerful victim impact statement to her father in court in November. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

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 – which 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 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.

“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 previously said 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.