Trial begins for Chris Dawson over alleged murder of wife Lynette

A Sydney court has been told former teacher Chris Dawson asked someone with criminal connections if they knew anyone who could “get rid of” his wife.

Footballer turned high-school teacher Chris Dawson allegedly wanted to hire a hit man to murder his wife Lynette after the couple was unable to have children early in their marriage, a court has been told.

The 73-year-old arrived in Sydney from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on Sunday night ahead of his trial in the NSW Supreme Court, which kicked off on Monday.

All details in the trial can be revealed after Judge Ian Harrison rejected an application from lawyers for both the defence and crown to have the case suppressed under blanket non-publication orders.

Lawyers on Monday applied to have the entire trial, including the verdict, suppressed and argued the reporting could prejudice further court proceedings in the coming months.

Chris Dawson arrived at the NSW Supreme Court on Monday ahead of his murder trial. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The judge-alone trial is expected to go for a maximum of six weeks where Crown prosecutor Craig Everson SC will allege the former Newtown Jets rugby league player and school teacher killed Lynette, who vanished in January 1982.

The 33-year-old disappeared from the family’s home at Bayview, on Sydney’s northern beaches, leaving behind her two beloved young children.

In his opening address, Mr Everson told the court the couple were both just 21 when they got married in 1970 but were not able to have children around the same time as Mr Dawson’s twin brother, Paul.

This caused a “level of animosity” from Mr Dawson to his wife, Mr Everson said.

On the way home from a trip to the Gold Coast with his teammates from the Newtown Jets in October 1975, Mr Dawson allegedly asked Robert Silkman if he “knew someone who could get rid of his wife.

Mr Everson told the court Mr Silkman “had some admitted criminal connections”.

Mr Dawson is on trial in the Supreme Court after he was charged with murder of his wife Lynette in 1982 (pictured with solicitor Greg Walsh). Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Five years later, the court heard Mr Dawson developed a sexual relationship with a student at the high school where he was a teacher and he became “infatuated with her”, the court heard.

“He repeatedly asked her to marry him,” Mr Everson said.

In December 1981, the court heard Mr Dawson valued the house he shared with Lynette at Bayview before the next day leaving his family and moving to Queensland with the student to “start a new life”.

The pair returned to Sydney just four days later.

The court heard the student ended the relationship in December 1981 and Mr Dawson begged her to call him as she went on holiday with friends the following month.

“The crown alleges that on or about the 8th of January 1982 the accused alone or with the involvement of another person murdered Lynette Dawson,” Mr Everson told the court.

Chris Dawson and his wife Lynette on their wedding day in 1970.

“Then later he disposed of her body at an unknown location.”

It is the crown case that Mr Dawson was “motivated to kill Lynette” by his desire to have a relationship with the student.

A week later he brought the student back to his house and told her “Lynette was gone and wouldn’t be coming back”, the court heard.

However, Mr Dawson allegedly told friends and family his wife had left him with the children and had called him a few times, before reporting her missing six weeks later.

Mr Everson told the court the student is expected to give evidence that Mr Dawson told her he contemplated getting a hit man against his wife, but “decided against it because innocent people would be hurt”.

The court heard Lynette was a “loving mother” who left two young children.

The trial will continue in front of judge Harrison on Wednesday.