Lynette Dawson’s sister is set to testify at her ex-husband’s trial after a friend and neighbour of the alleged victim said she believed Chris Dawson murdered her.
Julie Andrew told the NSW Supreme Court on Monday she had seen Dawson standing over his crying wife, screaming at her and shaking her shoulders in the backyard of their Bayview, Sydney, home in late 1981 – weeks before she disappeared.
Ms Andrew said she later checked on Ms Dawson who was upset because the babysitter, JC, was going to live at the family home permanently.
Ms Andrew told Ms Dawson she couldn’t let JC, a student at the school where Dawson was teaching, live in her house because he was having sex with the girl.
Ms Dawson had had such a difficult time giving birth to her two daughters that she would never have abandoned them, Ms Andrew said.
“I do believe Chris Dawson murdered his wife,” she told the court.
Recordings played to the court of conversations between Ms Andrew and The Teacher’s Pet podcast creator Hedley Thomas talked about interest in the case from Hollywood stars such as Hugh Jackman and Joel Edgerton.
Ms Andrew rejected claims she had embellished her evidence after getting carried away by her involvement in the podcast and feelings of self-importance.
Dawson, 73, a former Newtown Jets rugby league player, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife in January 1982.
The Crown alleges Dawson killed her and disposed of her body because of his affair with JC.
Defence barrister Pauline David said on Monday that Dawson might have failed his wife as a husband, but he did not kill her.
She said the police investigation into Ms Dawson’s disappearance had been flawed, and they had failed to follow up alleged phone calls from her and sightings of her after she had supposedly been murdered.
The judge-alone trial resumes on Tuesday with Ms Dawson’s sister Patricia Jenkins scheduled to give evidence.
© AAP 2022
