Dawson was ‘obsessed’ with teen babysitter before killing wife

Chris Dawson was “obsessed” with his teen babysitter, the infatuation that led to him murdering his wife, a judge has found.

Chris Dawson was “infatuated” and “obsessed” with his former teenage babysitter, with his desire to be with his ex-student driving him to kill his wife Lynette, a judge has found.

Dawson was on Tuesday placed in handcuffs and led off to jail after sensationally being found guilty of the 1982 murder of his wife Lynette.

Over the course of Justice Ian Harrison’s 4½ hour judgment on Tuesday, he found that Dawson had “resolved to kill his wife” so he could be with his former babysitter and student, who can only be known as JC.

Justice Harrison found that just three days after Ms Dawson disappeared, never to speak to her family, friends and colleagues again, JC was moved into the Dawson Bayview home.

He said Dawson had become “infatuated” and “obsessed” with JC while teaching her at a northern beaches school.

Chris Dawson and JC married in 1984.

Chris and Lynette Dawson on their wedding day.

He began teaching her physical education class when she was in year 11 in 1980 and she became the babysitter for the Dawsons’ two young children later that year.

JC temporarily moved into 2 Gilwinga Drive late in 1981 as the couple’s live-in babysitter.

During her evidence, JC told the court that when she was living with the Dawsons, Dawson would mix an alcoholic drink for his wife and wait for her to fall asleep, after which JC would have sex with him.

The court was told that JC would swim topless in their backyard and walk around the pool area in only a G-string.

It was only after Ms Dawson confronted her and accused her of “taking liberties” with her husband that she was forced to move in with Dawson’s brother while she completed her HSC.

JC was the prosecution’s star witness during his trial earlier this year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The court was told that JC had a troubled home life and her mother abused alcohol.

Justice Harrison said Dawson was the “charismatic” male figure that her family life lacked”.

JC told his trial earlier in the year that Dawson had purchased her a school bag and he would leave love letters in there while she was in class.

One read: “Valentine I love you XXX forever” and “The happiest birthday with all my love, XXX”.

Another said: “Happy Christmas. Once or twice every minute. Love always. God.”

A card given to JC on her 17th birthday by Chris Dawson, promising ‘we will share all the birthdays to follow’. Picture: Supplied

Just a few days before Christmas in 1981, JC and Dawson packed up his car and set out for Queensland.

The court was told that he left a note for Ms Dawson saying: “Don’t paint too dark a picture of me to the girls.”

However, they did not reach the border and turned the car around after JC became ill, arriving back in Sydney on Christmas Day.

Early in 1982, JC travelled to South West Rocks to holiday with family and friends.

She told the court during her evidence that during a phone call Dawson said, “Lyn’s gone, she’s not coming back.”

Harrison said JC’s evidence on the subject was “truthful and reliable”.

She said Dawson arrived on the Mid North Coast in his Toyota Corolla station wagon and took her and her sister back to Sydney in his car.

“Tortured by her absence up north, Mr Dawson resolved to kill his wife,” Justice Harrison said.

Justice Harrison found that JC moved into Dawson’s home at 2 Gilwinga Drive, Bayview on January 11, 1982 – three days after Ms Dawson went missing.

This was despite Dawson’s claim that they did not begin a de facto relationship until April that year.

Justice Harrison said he was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that they immediately resumed their “energetic sexual” relationship.

JC before she and Dawson set out for Queensland.

JC and Dawson married in 1984, moved to Queensland later that year and had a daughter the following year.

However, their marriage fell apart in 1990 and during separation proceedings, she made her first statement to police.

During the trial, Dawson’s lawyer accused JC of inventing several serious claims in the midst of a bitter divorce and was motivated by revenge.

However, Justice Harrison found that her evidence was “not corrupted by her separation and divorce”.

One of the key claims made by JC was that on one occasion in 1981, Dawson drove JC, who was in her school uniform at the time, to a building somewhere south of the Harbour Bridge.

JC claimed she waited in the car while Dawson went inside until he returned 15 to 20 minutes later.

“He said, ‘I went inside to get a hitman to kill Lyn, but then I decided I couldn’t do it because innocent people would be killed, could be hurt’.”

However, during a statement to police in 1990, JC said Dawson had made the “hitman” confession to her several weeks after they visited the building.

Justice Harrison said it was “unlikely” that had Dawson sought to hire a “hitman” he would tell a “young and impressionable” woman who he was contemplating marrying.

“I am not satisfied that he ever said to JC that he contemplated hiring a hitman to kill Lynette Dawson but he changed his mind,” Justice Harrison said.