Chris Dawson committal: witness tells court of Lyn Dawson’s teary declaration

A trembling Lyn Dawson broke down in her kitchen six months before she vanished, court hears.

Lyn Dawson with daughter at her Bayview home in 1978. Picture: Supplied

A tearful, trembling Lyn Dawson broke down in her kitchen and declared that her teenage babysitter “wants to get rid of me’’ just six months before she vanished, a court has heard.

A 101-year-old witness, Elva McBay, said she was at Lyn and Chris Dawson’s home at Bayview­, on Sydney’s northern beaches, for a party for their daughter Shanelle’s fourth birthday in July 1981.

Ms McBay told the court she came across a “distraught’’ Lyn, who told her of arguing earlier that day with her schoolgirl babysitter.

“She was crying, she was trembling, and I had never seen her in such a state,’’ Ms McBay said. “She said: ‘I’ve had the most dreadful row with Joanne this morning.’ She said: ‘She wants to get rid of me.’

Lynette and Chris Dawson with daughter Shanelle in 1982. Picture: File

“I said: ‘Oh Lyn, you can’t be hurt like this, you should get her out of the house before there’s any trouble.’ She said to me: ‘My mother has said exactly the same thing as you have said.’ ’’

Mr Dawson is facing a committal hearing in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court for the murder of his wife in January 1982. He has pleaded not guilty, and has previously claimed that Lyn walked out on him and their two young children.

An alleged sexual relationship between Mr Dawson and babysitter Joanne Curtis is at the centre of the prosecution’s case against him.

Ms Curtis was a student at Cromer High, where Mr Dawson was then a PE teacher.

The court also heard claims of a threat by Ms Curtis to kill Lyn Dawson, and of a “sighting’’ by Ms McBay of Lyn at a royal parade­ more than a year after she was reported missing.

Asked about Ms Curtis, Ms McBay said she had been aware the Dawsons had “taken a little girl from the school as their babysitter’’.

Phillip Boulten SC, for Mr Dawson, asked: “Did you approv­e of that?’’

Ms McBay: “No I did not, I thought it was very strange.’’

Lynette Dawson with baby daughter Shanelle in 1978. Picture: File

Mr Boulten suggested that Ms McBay had written in a statement that Lyn Dawson had ­spoken of having frequent dis­agreements and arguments with Ms Curtis. Ms McBay had also written that in one of those arguments Ms Curtis had threatened to kill Lyn, he said.

Due to poor eyesight, she was unable to confirm the statement was in her handwriting.

“I have no recollection of writing that, because I have no recollection of Lyn saying that to me,’’ she told the court.

Commenting on Lyn Dawson’s distressed state, Ms McBay added: “I couldn’t understand. It was Lyn’s home. There was no reason for Lyn to be out of the home.’’

Ms McBay, who spoke at the hearing via video link, is now legall­y blind and was frequently unable to hear during proceedings.

Chris Dawson (right) outside Downing Centre Local Court today. Picture: AAP

She said that since the age of three she had barracked for the Newtown Jets, the rugby league team of former star footballing twins Chris and Paul Dawson.

She would attend every ­Newtown Jets game, both home and away.

She became friends with the Dawson twins and their families, and visited at their homes at Bayview.

She said she was with her husband in Sydney’s Macquarie Street during a parade for Prince Charles and Princess Diana on March 28, 1983.

A woman ducked under the barriers and ran across the road to the other side just before the procession of vehicles carrying the royals passed by, she said.

“I saw her face for a few seconds, then she ran in front of the motorbikes. Terribly dangerous. I turned to my husband and said: ‘I think that’s Lynette Dawson.’

“By the time she ran in front of the motorbikes and ducked under the other side, the procession was right up in front of us.’’

Ms McBay said her late husband “only saw the back’’ of the woman, who had come from the direction of the Sydney Hospital.

In her written police statement, Ms McBay said she saw the woman only briefly and could not confirm it was Lyn Dawson, the court was told.

Asked for her opinion of Mr Dawson, she said she had never seen him bad-tempered or angry, even on the field. “He was not aggressive enough — too quiet on the field,’’ she said. “He adored his children and Lyn. One of the happiest ­families I’ve ever seen.’’

That evidence prompted a sudden show of emotion from 71-year-old Mr Dawson, who leaned forward in his chair in the front row of the public gallery and was comforted by a female supporter.

Mr Boulten, crown prosecutor Craig Everson and magistrate Jacqueline Trad repeated questions for Ms McBay.

“You were a lifelong Bluebags (as the Jets were known) mad-keen supporter,’’ Mr Boulten said.

“I certainly was,’’ she replied.

Ms Trad confirmed at the end of the scheduled five-day hearing that Mr Dawson would be commit­ted to stand trial. New committal procedures in NSW no longer require magistrates to find there is sufficient evidence for a trial, with prosecutors instead certifying cases ready. Evidence at the hearing was initially suppressed but can now be reported.

Psychic medium Debbie Malone was due to be the hearing’s first witness but was unavailable.

She became involved in the case in 2003, telling police at the time she thought Lyn Dawson’s body was buried under a retaining wall at her former residence.

The hearing resumes on ­Wednesday, when three more witnesses are due to appear.

Five witnesses were suddenly dropped from the committal hearing on Monday after the defenc­e was unable to secure a guarantee their evidence would be suppressed until trial.

These included The Australian’s national chief correspondent, Hedley Thomas, who brought global attention to the case in the investigative podcast The Teacher’s Pet, and the former chief investigator, Detective Sergean­t Damian Loone.