Subpoenaed material for Chris Dawson’s murder trial to be tabled before end of year

Subpoenaed material for the murder trial of Chris Dawson will be tabled in court before the end of the year.

Chris Dawson (left) and brother Peter Dawson (right) arrives at Downing Centre Local Court in June.

Subpoenaed material for the murder trial of Chris Dawson will be tabled in court before the end of the year, following “issues” by some parties over the relevance of some subpoena applications.

Mr Dawson, a former Newtown Jets rugby league player was charged with the murder of his first wife Lynette, who disappeared from their Bayview home on Sydney’s northern beaches in 1982.

Seven parties have been served with subpoenas including the schoolgirl Mr Dawson was having an affair with at the time of Ms Dawson’s disappearance, the chief executive of South Pacific Private Hospital, journalist Hedley Thomas and Nationwide News.

The barrister for Nationwide News, Dauid Sibtain, told magistrate Alexander Mijovich in court on Thursday that Nationwide News and Thomas, who had already disclosed to police “a large amount of material”, plan to reject two subpoenas issued to them by Mr Dawson’s lawyer Greg Walsh.

Mr Dawson was excused from appearing at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday where his matter was adjourned, but his brother Peter, who has attended all court cases, was present.

The Australian’s podcast series The Teacher’s Pet reignited an investigation into sexual assaults and student-teacher relationships at northern beaches schools in the 1970s and 1980s.

It has since been removed from The Australian’s website as the court case continues.

The 70-year-old also faces a fresh charge of having sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old when he was a teacher at a northern beaches high school which will be mentioned in court on November 8.

All subpoena applications will be tabled in court on December 4.

Mr Dawson has been on bail in Queensland since December, subject to strict conditions.