Chris Dawson grabbed wife by court and said he would ‘get rid’ of her: court

The teenager who moved into Chris Dawson’s home following his wife’s disappearance denies he was “mucking around” when he pulled off her G-string.

Chris Dawson left bruises on his wife’s throat and threatened to ‘get rid’ of her shortly before she disappeared from their Sydney northern beaches home 40 years ago, a court has heard.

The former rugby league player and teacher is standing trial in the NSW Supreme Court where he has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife Lynette Dawson who disappeared from their Bayview home in January 1982.

Mr Dawson, 73, has claimed he had no reason to want to kill Lynette and dispose of her body.

Witnesses told the court on Monday that the couple were experiencing difficulties before she went missing in January 1982 and had begun seeing a marriage counsellor.

Annette Leary, who worked with Ms Dawson at the Warriewood Children’s Centre, said that on one occasion she saw Ms Dawson with marks on her throat.

“One day when I came into work, she was already there,” Ms Leary told the court via videolink.

“And she had bruises on her throat and I said ‘oh what happened to your throat’.

“She told me that Chris, they got into a lift to go up to marriage counselling and he had gripped her by the throat, shook her and said ‘I’m only doing this once and if it doesn’t work I’m getting rid of you’.”

Ms Leary estimated that the incident occurred in 1981.

Ms Dawson was last seen on January 9, 1982, with Mr Dawson claiming he dropped her off at a Mona Vale bus stop before she phoned to say she wouldn’t be returning.

Ms Dawson said she said she never saw Ms Dawson again following the incident after she failed to come into work the following Monday.

Chris and Lynette Dawson before her disappearance. Picture: Troy Bendeich.

Ms Leary told the court that her impression was that Ms Dawson “didn’t think he was serious”.

Earlier, Barbara Cruise, who was Ms Dawson’s boss at the childcare centre, told the court that in 1981, she recalled Ms Dawson telling her that she was experiencing problems in her marriage to Mr Dawson.

“I think she felt that her husband had lost interest in her was what I got out of the conversation, which concerned her of course,” Ms Cruise told the court

Ms Cruise said that she was forced to terminate Ms Dawson’s employment after she failed to show up to work on Monday, January 11, 1982.

She said that she received a phone call from Mr Dawson telling her that Lynette had told her she needed time and away and “didn’t know when she would be back.”

Earlier, the then-teenager babysitter who was “installed” into Mr Dawson’s home following the disappearance of his wife has denied he was “mucking around” when he pulled off her G-string, the court heard.

The woman – who can only be known as JC – has told the court she was Mr Dawson’s student at a school where he taught.

She later became the couple’s live-in babysitter in late 1981, during which time she would have sex with him while his wife was asleep, she said during three days of evidence which concluded on Monday morning.

Following Lynette’s disappearance on January 9, 1982, JC says she was moved into Mr Dawson’s home on Sydney’s north shore to help look after his two young children.

She went on to marry Mr Dawson in 1984 before later divorcing in acrimonious circumstances in 1990.

She has told the court that during her marriage she was the victim of domestic violence including one incident in which he ripped off a G-string she was “parading” for him.

JC previously told the court Mr Dawson had become angry when he told her to only wear the underwear in front of him, describing the incident as “frightening”.

Chris and Lynette Dawson on their wedding day. Picture: Supplied

Under cross examination from Mr Dawson’s barrister, Pauline David, on Monday morning, JC denied the incident was nonviolent.

“There was an incident with a G-string that involved Mr Dawson pulling it from the back in the context of you mucking around,” Ms David said.

“No,” JC replied.

“There was no violence associated with any G-string incident,” Ms David said.

“There was, I was there,” JC said.

A picture of JC from 1981 on the day she and Chris Dawson left to start a new life in Queensland. Picture: Supplied

JC and Mr Dawson attempted to run off to Queensland to start a new life shortly before Christmas in 1981, only to turn around when she became ill and asked that he drive her back to Sydney.

In early 1982, she travelled to South West Rocks to holiday with friends and family, however she says she kept in daily phone contact with Mr Dawson.

She said during one call he told her “Lyn’s gone, she’s not coming back” before he drove up to the NSW Mid North Coast to collect her to take her back to Sydney’s north shore.

JC has told the court she was driven back to Sydney on or about January 10, 11 or 12.

Ms Dawson disappeared on January 9, after she was dropped off at a Mona Vale bus stop by Mr Dawson.

The woman, who can only be known as JC, has given evidence during Chris Dawson’s murder trial. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Damian Shaw

Ms David questioned whether JC had initially moved back in with her mother before she went to live at Mr Dawson’s home at Gilwinga Drive.

“I want to suggest part of that process was moving back into your mother’s place … And that there was some discussion before that actually occurred,” Ms David said.

“There was not,” JC said.

“He came up to get me to install me into his place to look after his children and take care of the cooking and cleaning et cetera because he told me his wife was not coming back.”

The trial continues.