40 years on, voice and vindication for murdered mum Lyn Dawson

The family of Lynette Dawson say the murdered mother has been vindicated 40 years after she disappeared from Sydney’s northern beaches.

Lynette Dawson’s brother Greg Simms, flanked by journalist Hedley Thomas and Mr Simms’ wife Merilyn, outside court shortly after Chris Dawson was found guilty. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The family of Lynette Dawson say the murdered mother has been vindicated 40 years after she disappeared from Sydney’s northern beaches.

Dressed in Lyn’s favourite colour, pink, brother Greg Simms and sister Pat Jenkins addressed the media from the steps of the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on Tuesday.

“This verdict is for Lyn,” said Mr Simms.

“Today her name has been cleared, she loved her family and never left them of her own accord.

“Instead her trust was betrayed by a man she loved.”

NSW Supreme Court Justice Ian Harrison SC on Tuesday found Chris Dawson guilty of murdering his then wife and mother of his two daughters.

Lyn’s family have for the past four decades advocated for justice on her behalf and, in the face of Dawson’s denials, maintained she never would have abandoned her family.

Mr Simms said the Supreme Court had confirmed what Lyn’s family had believed to be true since she disappeared in 1982, and he thanked everyone who had come forward to tell the truth and give his dead sister a voice.

“Chris Dawson took the life of our beloved Lyn back in 1982,” he said.

“On behalf of our family, our heartfelt thanks to all who came forward to speak the truth on Lyn’s behalf, to give her a voice 40 years after she lost her own.

“Many of those people have been advocating for her for a long time, thanks to the media who allowed those voices to speak loudly.

“Missing people need to be heard despite their own voices being silent.”

The trial of Dawson attracted international attention from people who became fascinated by the story of a mother who went missing at a time when her husband was having an affair with the family’s babysitter.

Dawson moved the then teen girl, known only as JC, into the family home shortly after Lyn went missing.

Lyn’s sister, Pat Jenkins, said Lyn would have been humbled by the attention the case had attracted.

“She was not an attention-seeker, she was a fun-loving person who loved her family, loved her children, but she would never have expected this,” Ms Jenkins said.

“Neither did we.”

Ms Jenkins said the family hadn’t had time to process the significance of Tuesday’s guilty verdict, describing it as astounding.

“We’re extremely grateful we’ve been able to get it to this stage, with so many people helping us along the way,” she said.

Mr Simms said after Lyn’s body was returned for burial, the family would try to return to their own lives.