NSW DPP tells of school link with Chris Dawson

NSW DPP Lloyd Babb was captain of Asquith Boys High when murder suspect Chris Dawson taught there in 1984.

Director of the DPP Lloyd Babb SC. Picture: John Grainger

The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions was captain of Sydney’s Asquith Boys High School when murder suspect Chris Dawson taught there in 1984, and they knew each other through rugby league at the school.

Update: Chris Dawson arrested

Lloyd Babb SC says he previously alerted senior colleagues to his connection to both Mr Dawson and his twin brother, Paul, who also taught at Asquith.

In response to a list of questions from The Weekend Australian yesterday, Mr Babb also said he had distanced himself from all decision-making on the fate of Chris Dawson, a former star footballer with the Newtown Jets.

The connections will be examined more thoroughly in the next episode of The Teacher’s Pet podcast series, which is investigating Lyn Dawson’s probable murder in 1982.

Police have wanted to charge Mr Dawson with murder since coroners in separate inquests in 2001 and 2003 found he killed his wife Lyn and should be prosecuted. But the office of the DPP has repeatedly refused to prosecute.

Mr Babb said he had never provided any advice within the office about the case or to police before his appointment as the state’s top prosecutor in 2011.

“I played rugby league and had contact with both men in that limited context,” he said. “I had no involvement with either man in activities outside of school.”

Lyn’s sister Pat Jenkins and brother Greg Simms said they were stunned at the 1984 connection between the DPP and their former brother-in-law, Chris, who they accuse of Lyn’s murder.

Chris and Paul Dawson.

“I’m dumbfounded and I would have expected to have been advised of it by the office of the DPP instead of finding out like this,’’ said Mr Simms.

Mr Babb said he had already made an internal office declaration of a conflict of interest in the case due to his past association with the brothers.

“I have had no input with any aspect of the police request for advice regarding this brief,” he said.

In 1984 — two years after Lyn vanished leaving behind two young daughters — Mr Dawson was a teacher and football coach at Asquith Boys High, a NSW government-run school, having taught over the previous five years at Cromer High and Beacon Hill on the northern beaches.

His twin Paul was a teacher at Asquith at the same time and shared coaching duties, having gone there from Forest High. They have been accused of being part of a sex ring with other teachers who preyed on schoolgirls.

Mr Babb was in his final year at the school in 1984 and held a leadership position as school captain.

He said he was not taught by either of the Dawson brothers and had no contact with the men or their solicitor brother Peter Dawson since 1984.

“The matter is presently being reviewed by my office at the request of the NSW Police Force and the review is being conducted by senior legal staff including a deputy director.

“Conflicts of interest arise in this office, and in every legal office, from time to time. The ODPP has procedures in place when this occurs and those procedures were followed in this case.

“Upon my becoming aware of this matter, I immediately indicated my conflict of interest to the deputy directors.”

The conflict prevented him from any involvement, “including contact with the family”.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said police had formally asked prosecutors in April to again consider if there was enough evidence to prosecute.

The deputy director independently reviewing the case would respond to police “when a determination is made”, Mr Babb said.

Chris Dawson denies killing his wife. Paul Dawson denies any wrongdoing.