The Teacher’s Pet: Chris Dawson arrives in Sydney as it’s revealed former student lover to be key witness

Chris Dawson lands in Sydney as it’s revealed his one-time teen lover and another ex-student will be witnesses in his murder trial.

Chris Dawson spent his extradition flight to Sydney this morning staring out the window, like he was taking in a “last taste of freedom”, a passenger says.

Seated in the window seat in row 30, the last row of seats on the plane, Mr Dawson occasionally spoke to police and had his breakfast on the 90-minute flight.

Following his arrival he will be formally charged with the murder of his wife, Lyn, almost 37 years ago.

He had spent his first night in custody in Southport watchhouse last night, before detectives this morning drove him directly onto the tarmac at Gold Coast airport.

He was the first to board the plane for flight QF861, escorted by officers and wearing the same clothes he was arrested in but with the addition of a pair of thongs.

Detectives were seated beside and in front of him.

“Most of the flight he spent looking out the window. It was like a last taste of freedom,” a passenger said.

Chris Dawson is escorted by NSW Police on a flight from Queensland to NSW to face charges of murder over the death of his wife Lyn Dawson. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

“He had the quiche for breakfast and occasionally talked to the police next to him.

“Even when we were waiting on the tarmac in Sydney he kept looking out the window.

“There was no emotion, he was almost lost in thoughts.”

Arriving in Sydney, Mr Dawson was escorted off the plane by police shortly before 10am. He was not handcuffed.

He was then driven from the airport by police to the Surry Hills Police Centre in Sydney’s inner-east where he is expected to be charged with murder. Mr Dawson sat in the back seat as he was driven into the heavily fortified police complex in an unmarked blue car.

His extradition to NSW came as it was revealed the former Newtown Jets rugby league player and teacher’s one-time teenage lover and another ex-student who kept a diary about her schooldays on Sydney’s northern beaches will be key witnesses in his murder trial.

Joanne Curtis, who moved into Mr Dawson’s home just two days after Lyn vanished, has been ­quietly co-operating with homicide detectives reinvestigating the case — with police now holding the theory Lyn was murdered at her home and buried in bushland.

Chris Dawson is escorted by NSW Police to his flight to be extradited from Queensland to NSW to face charges of murder over the death of his wife Lyn. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

New witnesses uncovered in The Australian’s investigative podcast series, The Teacher’s Pet , have formed part of the case against Mr Dawson, who is accused of killing his wife in January 1982 after courting Ms Curtis when she was his high school student.

It can now be revealed that these witnesses include a woman who met detectives for the first time in Sydney weeks ago. A former northern beaches schoolgirl, she had a close relationship with Mr Dawson, his twin brother Paul and Ms Curtis, and kept diaries.

The Australian has been in touch with her for months, having introduced her to police, but has ­chosen not to reveal her identity.

Dressed in a light khaki T-shirt, he sat quietly in the dock and stared ahead, resting his face in his hands and, at one stage, covering his ears as details of the case against him were read aloud.

The NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions met homicide detectives on Monday and gave police the go-ahead to charge Mr Dawson. NSW Police confirmed that, since April, when police sought ­advice from the DPP on whether there was sufficient evidence to charge Mr Dawson, detectives working the case had obtained ­additional evidence against the former footballer and high school sports teacher.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said that, while the brief of evidence would rely mostly on information gathered by the homicide squad, the intense public interest in the case had resulted in new evidence. That evidence came in the form of two additional witness statements described by the head of the homicide squad, Scott Cook, as “corroborative”.

One new witness uncovered in the podcast, Bev McNally, has told police what she witnessed inside the Dawson home while working as their babysitter.

Mr Fuller also hinted that police were pursuing fresh ­theories on where Lyn’s remains might be, almost 37 years after she vanished from the northern beaches, leaving behind two young girls. Mr Dawson was at the time in a relationship with Ms Curtis, one of his students.

In September police conducted an extensive dig of the Dawsons’ former home in Bayview in a fruitless search for Lyn’s remains.

Chris and Lyn Dawson on their wedding day.

“At this stage, while there are some broad working theories that I can’t go into, we haven’t given up hope in terms of finding Lynette Dawson’s body,” Mr Fuller said.

He said he had spoken to ­detectives about the decision to charge Mr Dawson. “(Detectives) were very positive in terms of the strength of the case,” he said.

Mr Cook said Mr Dawson had been surprised but co-operative when police arrived at his home and announced he would be charged with murder.

“I’m told that he was calm and a little bit taken back,” he said.

At his court hearing yesterday, Mr Dawson sought bail with a promise to drive himself to Parramatta for a court appearance.

GRAPHIC: The key players

Magistrate Dennis Kinsella said the seriousness of the alleged crime meant the flight risk was too high. “The essence of the case against him is a circumstantial case in which his wife is unable to be ­located,” Mr Kinsella said.

He said there was a “contextual matter” that Mr Dawson was involved in an “illicit affair”, forming part of the case against him.

The court heard police would allege Mr Dawson wanted to leave his wife and that there were “outstanding property issues”. The magistrate said domestic violence allegations against Mr Dawson would be raised in evidence, as well as testimony from the woman involved in the affair, Ms Curtis.

A sketch of Dawson as he appeared in Southport Magistrates Court yesterday. Sketch: Richard Gosling

There was evidence that Lyn was going about living a “normal life”, preparing for a family portrait, organising a birthday party and readying her daughter to start school, before she disappeared.

She had not picked up her pay and “was not financially viable”.

Mr Dawson was represented by a duty lawyer, Rachel Barnes. She said the police extradition application was not opposed, but she applied for Mr Dawson to be given bail and to travel to NSW of his own accord. The court heard Mr Dawson had no relevant criminal history. Police prosecutor James Trenoar opposed the bail application on the grounds of the seriousness of the charge.

Detectives from NSW’s Strike Force Scriven, established in 2015 to reinvestigate Lyn’s disappearance and suspected murder, ­applied for an arrest warrant before travelling to Queensland. On his arrival in Sydney, he will be formally charged with the murder of his wife.

Additional reporting: AAP