Chris Dawson ‘had no reason to kill or get rid of his wife’

Chris Dawson’s defence declares he is innocent of his missing wife Lynette’s murder, saying she had reason to want to dis­appear.

Chris Dawson, right, leaves the Supreme Court of New South Wales in Sydney with his brother on Monday. Picture Gaye Gerard

Chris Dawson’s defence has declared he is innocent of his missing wife Lynette’s murder, saying she had reason to want to dis­appear.

His barrister, Pauline David, delivered her opening address at his murder trial on Monday, telling the court there was “not a scintilla of truth” in him approaching anyone to get rid of his wife.

She said it was not in issue that there were problems in the marriage, with Mr Dawson forming a relationship with a teenage student, but while Mr Dawson had no reason whatsoever to be motivated to kill or get rid of his wife, there was much reason for Lynette Dawson to be motivated to rid herself of him and disappear, she said.

“Christopher Dawson, the accused, did not kill Lynette Dawson,” Ms David said.

Julie Andrew outside court on Monday. Picture: Jane Dempster

Lynette Dawson’s neighbour and friend Julie Andrew on Monday became the first witness at the trial, testifying that she saw Mr Dawson “towering” over and screaming at his wife, with at least one hand on her shoulder”.

The incident occurred near a trampoline on the Dawson family’s property at Bayview on Sydney’s northern beaches in December 1981, Ms Andrew said. Weeks later, Lyn, 33, vanished.

Ms Andrew said she moved closer as the incident unfolded as she was “really frightened for her”. The Dawsons’ youngest daughter, Sherryn, had come into view.

She heard Lyn say: “What’s Daddy doing to us?”

A few hours later, Ms Andrew phoned to see whether Lyn was OK then went over to see her, the court was told.

Lyn had already alluded to being aware of a relationship between her husband and JC, the family’s babysitter, she said.

Mr Dawson was infatuated with JC and Lyn was worried about her moving in.

Ms Andrew told the court she didn’t swear regularly but told Lyn: “You can’t have her move in here, he’s f..king the babysitter.”

Mr Dawson, 73, sat with his arms crossed looking at Ms Andrew for parts of her evidence.

Ms Andrew said JC was at the Dawsons’ swimming pool topless several times, once wearing only a G-string. Lyn’s self-­esteem had plummeted, she said. The trampoline incident was the last time she saw or spoke to Lyn.

Ms Andrew was grilled by the defence on her interactions with The Australian’s Hedley Thomas for the podcast series The Teacher’s Pet, with snippets of their recorded conversations played in court.

Interest in the podcast from Australian actor Hugh Jackman and other stars, and plans for a book and a TV series or movie, were discussed during the recordings.

On the day of Mr Dawson’s arrest for Lynette’s alleged murder, Ms Andrew said in a recording they had to enjoy the moment but it was just the beginning. Winning the game would be seeing him convicted, held accountable and spending the rest of his life in prison, she said in the call.

Ms David suggested to Ms Andrew she was in a “mutual admiration society”.

She asked Ms Andrew if she wanted to make sure she had something pretty significant to say because of her importance to the podcast, adding that she was receiving a “significant amount of flattery”.

Ms Andrew said she was not easily flattered, and denied repeated suggestions from the barrister that she had invented, altered or embellished her evidence.

Lynette would not have left her children, she insisted. “She was wonderful. She was very caring. Very loving. She was an inspiration,” Ms Andrew said.

Lyn Dawson in 1980. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“I do believe Chris Dawson murdered his wife. I’d be lying to you if I said otherwise.”

The defence barrister suggested Ms Andrew had come to court “to portray Mr Dawson in the most monstrous manner you possibly can”.

Ms Andrew replied: “I’ve come to tell the truth.”

Her language in describing events may have changed over time but the incident in her mind had not changed, she said.

Ms David outlined the former teacher and professional footballer’s version of events, saying he had driven his wife to a bus stop at Mona Vale to go shopping on January 9, 1982.

Lynette was due to meet her husband, her mother, Helena Simms, and her children at the Northbridge Baths where Mr Dawson was working that day.

At 3pm, a staff member at the baths’ kiosk notified Mr Dawson of an STD phone call.

Mr Dawson took the call and spoke to Lynette, who said in effect she was not going to be at the pool or be returning home that day, Ms David said.

Mr Dawson returned and spoke to Lyn’s mother and another witness, Phillip Day, who both observed he was shaken, she said.

It was not in issue that there had been no personal contact between Lyn and her family since that time, but Mr Dawson denied she was dead.

Subsequent phone calls to Mr Dawson and bank card transactions showed Lyn was alive after the last time she spoke to her family, Ms David said.

The crown had opened by saying police were unable to find any evidence that Lyn survived after January 9.

It was the very lack of police investigation that had “caused great prejudice” to Mr Dawson, his barrister said.

Police investigations into Lyn’s disappearance were characterised by inexplicable delays, the loss of records and the failure to follow up leads that Lyn was alive, she said. Some leads were “just ignored”.

Ms David then turned to the “so-called hit man allegation”.

The prosecution alleges Mr Dawson approached a former Newtown Jets teammate, Robert Silkman, on a plane six years before she disappeared and asked him to help get rid of Lyn.

Mr Dawson’s former teenage lover, JC, has separately told police that in 1981 he spoke of contemplating getting a hit man to kill Lyn.

“It is a suggestion that is emphatically and utterly denied,” Ms David said.

JC’s first account about Mr Dawson discussing a hit man was made in 1990 during a “bitter custody dispute” shortly after she and Mr Dawson had separated, the court was told.

Lyn’s sister Pat Jenkins has begun giving evidence, telling the court Lyn was devoted to her children after initially struggling to fall pregnant.

Lyn was “so affectionate to my children” and “just wanted children of her own”, Ms Jenkins said.

She will continue giving evidence on Tuesday.