Twist in Chris Dawson hearing: Psychic not available to give evidence

The first witness for Chris Dawson’s committal hearing, a psychic medium, is unable to give evidence today.

Chis Dawson arrives at Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney. Picture: AAP/Dean Lewins

Chris Dawson’s committal hearing for the murder of his wife, Lyn, has taken another turn with a psychic medium unavailable to give evidence Tuesday.

Debbie Malone, who became involved in the police investigation into Mrs Dawson’s 1982 disappearance, was due to be the hearing’s first witness.

However Ms Malone was not available, and the only witness to give evidence on Tuesday will now be a 101-year-old woman, Elva McBay.

The change comes after five key witnesses were suddenly dropped from the committal hearing at its opening at Downing Centre Local Court.

Mr Dawson’s barrister, Phillip Boulten SC, said on Monday that the five witnesses would no longer be required after he was unable to gain an assurance from the magistrate that their evidence would be suppressed until trial.

That left only a handful of witnesses at the committal hearing, including Ms McBay, whose connection to the case has not yet been revealed.

The court has been told Ms McBay has a medical condition related to her sight that restricts her from giving evidence before 11.30am. She will give her evidence via video link.

“She’s the only witness listed for today, so that’s what we’ll proceed with,’’ Magistrate Jacqueline Trad said Tuesday.

Crown prosecutor Craig Everson said he would tender Ms McBay’s statement and had questions about one aspect of it.

With the further delay, Mr Dawson, 71, a former star rugby league player with the Newtown Jets, has not yet appeared in court on Tuesday. The public gallery is taken up by reporters and a handful of members of the public.

Evidence at the committal hearing is suppressed under an interim non-publication order issued by Ms Trad.

Ms Trad will reassess the order once all the witness evidence has been heard in the scheduled five-day hearing.

Ms Malone, the clairvoyant, became involved in the case in 2003 after viewing an episode of the ABC’s Australian Story about Mrs Dawson’s disappearance.

Ms Malone told relatives of Mrs Dawson and police that she thought Mrs Dawson was dead and her body was buried under a retaining wall on the property of her former residence.

The case attracted global attention through The Australian’s investigative podcast, The Teacher’s Pet, by national chief correspondent Hedley Thomas.

The witnesses who will no longer appear are: Mr Thomas; Mrs Dawson’s former friend and neighbour Julie Andrew; Rebecca Hazel, a lawyer and the author of a book on the case; Detective Sergeant Damian Loone, who was assigned to investigate in the 1990s; and Bev McNally, a former Dawson family babysitter.

Mr Dawson’s lawyers have said all five are expected to be called to a later Supreme Court pre-trial hearing, where their evidence would likely be suppressed.