Chris Dawson trial: Result a testament to brave babysitter JC

One of the Dawson trial’s most maligned witnesses – JC – was on Tuesday vindicated in the convicted murderer’s verdict hearing.

JC in 1981. JC married Dawson after his wife Lyn’s sudden disappearance in early January 1982.

One of the Dawson trial’s most maligned witnesses – JC – was on Tuesday vindicated in the convicted murderer’s verdict hearing.

The teenage babysitter and schoolgirl with whom Dawson became obsessed enough to kill his own wife in order to be with her featured prominently in judge Ian Harrison’s verdict reasonings.

During Chris Dawson’s murder trial earlier this year, she was mercilessly cross-examined by defence barrister Pauline David.

JC, who married Dawson after his wife Lyn’s sudden disappearance in early January 1982 and had a child with him, was repeatedly accused at trial of being a liar, and of wishing to destroy Dawson because she was bitter about their marriage break-up.

Justice Harrison, however, accepted her evidence on almost all counts. It would prove pivotal in Dawson’s conviction.

In assessing Dawson’s early infatuation with JC, Justice Harrison was moved by her trial evidence that she had been only “a child” when she “found herself in an emotional bond” with Dawson.

He said he “did not consider that (JC’s) evidence has been corrupted by the influence of her separation and divorce”.

He added that her evidence about her developing relationship with her teacher had been “significantly corroborated by others”.

Chris Dawson and JC is on their wedding day.

Justice Harrison explored JC’s evidence relating to the critical ­period from January 8, 1982, when Lyn Dawson went missing, to Dawson’s frantic dash just days later to meet JC in the holiday village of South West Rocks on the NSW mid-north coast, where she had gone for a “schoolies”-style break with her sisters and friends.

At trial, Dawson had disputed the dates and JC’s version of events when he travelled to the seaside village and brought her back to Sydney, installing her straight into the family home in Bayview Heights on Sydney’s northern beaches.

Dawson’s stated knowledge that Lynette Dawson had gone in the sense on his account that she had left him. Picture: AAP

Justice Harrison found otherwise and said: “I accept as truthful JC’s evidence about her recollections of what occurred at South West Rocks and her recollections of what Mr Dawson said to her.”

Another critical piece of evidence from JC was that when Dawson came to get her and bring her home, he told her “Lyn’s gone and she’s not coming back”.

Dawson denied saying this.

Justice Harrison said: “(JC’s) evidence that Mr Dawson told her Lyn’s gone, she’s not coming back is not corroborated. But I found that to be true. It was in fact entirely consistent with Mr Dawson’s stated knowledge that Lynette Dawson had gone in the sense on his account that she had left him … accepting those words were spoken does not foreclose the existence of an instant interpretation in the sense that she had gone but was still alive. Any conclusion that the words were spoken … with an understanding that Lynette Dawson was dead can only be formed by reference to the whole of the evidence in this trial.”