Then, in May 2018, a month after Australian prosecutors began to review the case, Thomas shocked the world by debuting a podcast titled The Teachers Pet. His relationship with JC, a teenage schoolgirl (who he first met in his PE class), and who subsequently became the couple's live-in babysitter, was an obsession that became "more and more intense", the judge said. In a teary interview with 60 Minutes back in 2018, Shanelle Dawson said 'it's not looking good for my father, I will be honest to say'. She genuinely believed he killed Lyn, theres no doubt about it, Ms Walsh told the program. The court also heard on Wednesday a taped phone conversation between Marilyn Dawson and the twins' parents, Joan and Sid. [4], Lynette was phoned by her mother on 8 January 1982, the last time they would communicate with each other. They were married in 1970 at St Jude's Church, Randwick, in Sydney[4][5] and later had two children. When both twins moved to the Gold Coast, Chris with JC as his new wife, the twins built houses 500m metres from one another behind wire fences, each with a swimming pool and tennis court. Just weeks after Lyn went missing, Dawson moved JC into the family home. In 1980, at 16, Joanne Curtis began an affair with a teacher at Cromer High School in . The next news came from Chris as he spun the first silk in a web of lies torn down this week. Her body has never been found and Dawson has always maintained he was not involved in her disappearance. IT IS a true crime story which has shocked the world. His brother Paul followed suit and began teaching alongside Chris, even moving his family closer. [17] In April 2022, he was denied special leave by Justice Stephen Gageler to appeal to the High Court of Australia. In the podcast, Thomas alleged he had uncovered new evidence that indicated Dawson may have killed his wife in order to continue an affair with a former student. [15] He is also facing a charge of carnal knowledge with a girl between the ages of 10 and 17, relating to his sexual relationship with Curtis while still a teacher at Cromer High School. In 1980, Chris began a relationship with his 16-year-old Cromer High School student Joanne Curtis. Katie Serena is a New York City-based writer and a staff writer at All That's Interesting. It is almost 20 years since ABC's Australian Story first spoke to the family and friends of former nurse and childcare worker Lyn Dawson, a much-loved mother-of-two who vanished from her home on Sydney's northern beaches in suspicious circumstances in January 1982. In earlier testimony on Tuesday, the court heard JC - who later became Chris Dawson's schoolgirl wife - allegedly told her best friend on theGold Coast that he had 'murdered his first wife' and urged her 'go to police' if she 'didn't make it out'. [4] He claimed that she left after marital problems caused over her Bankcard spending. Depending on how enraptured you were with the true crime podcast The Teacher's Pet, you might feel a moment of joyous satisfaction about the outcome of this case, or a shrugging indifference. There were gasps in the courtroom the moment the verdict was handed down - following some 4.5 hours of the judge reading out his reasons - with Dawson shaking his head very slightly and his twin brother Paul muttering 'bulls***'. How was Chris Dawson found guilty of murder without 'a skerrick' of scientific or forensic evidence? And then they took him towards the doors at the back of the dock.". Former NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery QC told ABC, the evidence simply wasnt strong enough. Forget turnipsnow eat SQUIRREL! Thebank that won't pass on rate rises unless you ring and ask:Just one of the ruses greedy lenders use to Meghan Markle was 'hugely disappointed' by life in the royal family and as a 'global superstar' she 'hated Twitter is DOWN: App crashes for thousands of frustrated users around the world. 'I think Paul would do anything for his brother, but I didn't mean he would kill.'. Dawson's lawyer Greg Walsh on Thursday said the one-time teacher and football star had already received serious death threats from several inmates in Silverwater jail in the short time he'd been there. He turned her young daughters memories against her - tarring her as a cowardly, unloving mother who just "went away". But she hadn't really discussed her marriage to Dawson until the night she left him when she stayed atMs Melrose-Mikeska's Southport home before escaping to Sydney with her daughter. [25] The series has close to 30 million downloads[26] and created a large amount of public interest in the case,[25] but was made unavailable in Australia in consideration of the ongoing legal proceedings. [11][12] He was granted bail,[13] and in June 2019 pleaded not guilty to her murder. A pink cardigan and a wrapper dated 1981 were discovered, but nothing related to Lynette Dawsons disappearance was found. "What was lacking was good, hard evidence to try and build a strong circumstantial case and to prove that this woman [Lyn] had in fact died," he says. That makes it very weak, he said. "I can never forgive Chris for the way he treated Lyn, but also for the cruel and callous way he treated our distressed and grieving mother," Lyn's sister, Pat, says. Left: Lyn with Chris Dawson, aged 17, before their High School dance of 1965. Harrison accepted the timeframe of the case given by the prosecution: that around 22 December 1981, Dawson and JC travelled to Queensland, but the attempt at starting a new life failed after JC became unwell, and said she missed her family. Lynette Joy Dawson (born 1948) was an Australian missing person who disappeared on 9 January 1982, leaving two daughters and her husband, former rugby league footballer Chris Dawson. Thomas work on the case shot it to the forefront of the publics attention and kickstarted the investigation back into high gear. She was absent from the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday where Justice Ian Harrison found her father guilty of her mother's murder. Mr Simms also paid homage to his and Mrs Dawson's late mother, Helena Simms, who died in 2001 - none the wiser on her daughter's whereabouts. Looking for Lyn: With Joanne Curtis, Damian Loone. "That beautiful picture just showed what sort of person she was. And I actually said to my daughter, 'What's a podcast?'". This fascination has followed Lynette's daughters throughout their lives, on first a small, and then a global scale, and it's coloured every aspect of the lives they've built in its shadow, and will go on tolive from here. Meanwhile, more than 36 years after Ms Dawson mysteriously vanished, the man who decided not to prosecute Mr Dawson on two occasions for her death has revealed why he didnt lay charges. Bev McNally who was another student at Chris Dawsons school tells another story. Especially people who are quite angry, and rightfully so, wanting answers about my mum. EXCLUSIVE - Revealed: Carol Kirkwood's secret toyboy fianc - 13 years her junior - is a divorced police 'Digital antidepressants' to be rolled out on the NHS as health bosses give eight apps and web-based therapy BBC journalists vote 'overwhelmingly' to stage series of strikes in move that could sabotage corporation's 'This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen!' It is an enormous moment for a family who have spent the past four decades searching for answers, certain that Lyn would never have left the two young daughters she loved so dearly. He dismissed claims Lynette Dawson had been seen alive after January 1982 or that she had contacted her husband. Olivia Newton-Johns daughter has revealed how she keeps her connection to her mother alive months after her tragic passing. The disappearance of Lyn Dawson was a case that gripped Australia, and the relationship between her husband Chris Dawson and his 16-year-old schoolgirl lover Joanne Curtis is at the centre of the mystery. He said it was simply absurd and defied common sense that the only person Lynette Dawson would remain in contact with after leaving the house would be the very person who was the reason for her departure. He actually flicked her really, really hard right across the back with the tea towel. 'She said "Im heading back to Sydney" and she was going to go to the police and she said if she doesnt make it, I was to go to police and tell them some information she' relayed to me,' Ms Melrose-Mikeska said via video link from Tweed Heads. Though it was never closed, the trail had all but run cold; no arrests were made and no new evidence seemed to come to light. I asked if Chris wanted to see the drawings because they were of his children and he said "no". And that was the one that broke it.. He can understand why Lyn's supporters felt jitters as the judge struck out large swathes of the prosecution's argument, including witness evidence that Chris Dawson had been violent towards Lyn during their marriage. Toni Melrose-Mikeska became friends with the former babysitter turned Chris Dawson's second wife at Dreamworld in 1987 when 'JC' and her young daughter attended her performances as Coo-ee the Gumnut Fairy in the Kenny Koala show. Walsh also suggested his client would appeal Tuesdays verdict. EXCLUSIVE 'I hope he has a hard time in a men's prison': Estranged wife of trans double rapist Isla Bryson Ed Sheeran reveals wife Cherry was diagnosed with tumour while pregnant which couldn't be treated until Matt Hancock was warned it was 'inhumane' to impose restrictions on visiting care homes and elderly were at Jacob Rees-Mogg 'had a Covid test for one of his children couriered to his home amid a shortage', according Time to veto keto? The story of Lynette Dawson's disappearance has sparked interest around the world after it was featured on a podcast called 'The Teacher's Pet', produced by The Australian newspaper. Dawson appeared to limp as he was led away, arms stretched awkwardly in front of him, to be taken into custody. "I suppose you could say I was in shock at the information she'd told us," Greg said. Dawsons lawyer, Greg Walsh, told the judge after the verdict that his client would likely apply for bail before his sentencing hearing. January 1982 - Lynette "Lyn" Dawson, 33, disappears from her home at Bayview on Sydney's northern beaches, leaving behind two young daughters. Until four years ago, when The Teacher's Pet was released, Lynette's daughters' grief - and that of her family - was private. A second inquest, held in February 2003 by State Coroner Carl Milovanovich, recommended Chris be charged with Lynette's murder. And tomorrow, when the sun rises, her name will already be fading into memory. Dawson, 74, was found guilty of murdering his first wife Lynette Dawson on Tuesday and was sent to Silverwater Jail in Sydney to await sentencing. [4] Chris was arrested in Queensland in December 2018, extradited to New South Wales, and charged with the murder of his first wife. The garment had multiple cut marks consistent with stabbing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAgltfUt0Uc. He told Lyn's mother that she had called several times saying she needed more time. All times AEDT (GMT +11). The two had planned to meet up with the rest of Dawsons family the following day. Now, a journalist's podcast may have finally solved the mystery of her disappearance. [16], Chris Dawson applied to have the case stayed on the basis that there had been an "inordinate delay" in prosecuting him, and that there was a risk that members of the jury could have prejudged his guilt due to widespread publicity about the case. But he also cautioned against making general gender-based assumptions that Lynette Dawson had not left simply because she was a mother and that women are somehow expected to abide by a higher standard. [2] On 30 August 2022, Chris Dawson was convicted of Lynette's murder[3] and sentenced to 24years in prison. Dawson, 73, is accused of murdering his wife and disposing of her body in January 1982 so he could have an unfettered relationship with JC, who was his babysitter and one of his former students.. So while it's just and right that Chris Dawson's long-held secret was forced into the light today, Shanelle and Sherryn still lose. She had arranged to go to the Dawson's Bayview home in Sydney's northern beaches to photograph the 'children dressed in beautiful broderie anglaise dresses, they had their hair beautifully done'. Her post was inundated with supportive comments from loved ones, many saying they were thinking of her. They already lost their mother. Her husband Chris Dawson, a P.E teacher at Cromer High School, told loved ones that his wife had run off to join a religious group. The judge saying, 'Mr Dawson, you have to go now'. Picture: Simms family 5/29. ChrisDawson, 73, is accused of killing his wife Lynette Dawson and disposing of her body in January 1982 so he could have an unfettered relationship with one of his former students, known as JC, while holding onto assets including the family home in Bayview, Sydney. "Whenever inquiries were made, the family was always told, she's an adult. JC and her daughter attended her performances every week and the little girl even had her own mini gumnut fairy costume made. Watch the Australian Story series return Lyn Dawson: Vanished on iviewand YouTube. Witnesses have said they saw him shove his wife's face into the dirt, swing her into a doorframe, and demean her with insults such as 'fatso'. Candace Sutton for Daily Mail Australia Then, in 1965, Chris Dawson met young Lynette Simms and five years later the two were married. She said her father looked her in the eye and swore he never, ever hurt her mother. YouTubeChris Dawson and his twin brother Paul posing for a Levis ad. JC contacted him out of the blue. It was later discovered that she walked out on her three children and started a new life under a new identity in New Zealand. By Eliza Mcphee and Candace Sutton for Daily Mail Australia, Published: 07:48 GMT, 1 September 2022 | Updated: 09:12 GMT, 1 September 2022, Chris and Lynette Dawson's daughter Shanelle (pictured) shared a cryptic post including a poem about suffering on Wednesday. Through that battle, these women have lost even more. The ups and downs from Judge Harrison in his summation," he says. The mother-of-two abruptly vanished from her Sydney Northern Beaches home almost 40 years ago in January 1982. "The judge found this quite implausible," MrWhealy says. In a dramatic day on Tuesday, Justice Harrison found Dawson guilty just after 3pm - bringing to a close a mystery that has haunted Lynette's family and Sydney's northern beaches for four decades. Shanelle cant say yes or no. "Lyn was very attached to a little girl who was sick. Chris Dawson in his suit on Tuesday before he was convicted of the 1982 murder of Lynette Dawson and taken away to prison. YouTubeLynette Dawson and her husband, Chris, shortly before their marriage. These reasons included that she adored her children, was mentally stable, had not taken any clothing or personal belongings with her, and had made plans for the future. [1] Her whereabouts are unknown, but two coronial inquests found that she had been murdered. Lynette Dawson with husband Chris and daughter Shanelle. Chris Dawson has been found guilty of murdering his wife Lynette more than 40 years ago, after one of Australia's most high-profile trials. Barbara Cruise, the owner of the childcare centre where Lyn worked as a registered nurse, believes police were blinded by Dawson's "celebrity". Shanelle accepts that the evidence is stacked against her father. Lyn Dawson was a devoted young mother with a seemingly perfect marriage to a glamorous, high profile football star and two daughters she adored. Harrison said the prosecution had to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Lynette Dawson is dead, that she was killed by Dawson with the possible involvement or assistance of others, and that he and possibly others disposed of her body. They've grown up with his version of the story of their mother - that she walked out on them, without a word. The podcast, created by investigative reporter Hedley Thomas, was listened to tens of millions of times. Lyn Dawson was missing for 40 years but her brother and sister never gave up hope. A young Joanne Cutis pictured witht he Dawsons' daughters, Shanelle (right) and Sherryn A Current Affair/Nine Now Interest in the disappearance of 33-year-old Lyn has magnified in the past few months due to the popularity of The Teacher's Pet podcast, which has surpassed 14 million downloads. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. We could have had our sister.". Rishi Sunak looked like he had won the lottery. Chris and Lyn Dawson's daughter Shanelle shared cryptic post on Wednesday She shared excerpt from a poem that describes goodness and suffering The post came less than 24 hours after her. Just 24 hours earlier, the Simms family were left stunned when Justice Ian Harrison SC confirmed what they had long suspected that Greg's sister Lynette Dawson, who disappeared 40 years ago, had been murdered by her husband Chris Dawson. The image, taken in 1966, depicts Lyn on her day off with a little girl that she had cared for at the time. On New Years Day or 2 January 1982, JC travelled north to South West Rocks, where she camped with her sisters and friends. Before Joanne came along, she was the family babysitter. In 1981, Joanne, pictured centre, moved in with the Dawsons at Bayview. The coroner recommended charges be laid; however Nicholas Cowdery QC, the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, assessed that there was insufficient evidence for a criminal conviction. He referred to her in the present tense, careful to never use words such as was or used to. Instead, he told reporters and investigators he hoped his missing wife was living happily somewhere else in the world. It was the last time Helena spoke to her 33-year-old daughter. She said JC had described a visit to a pub by Dawson to meet a man and hand over an envelope shortly before his first wife Lyn disappeared. She also told The Teacher's Pet podcast - which brought Lyn's disappearance back into the spotlight - that her mother was rarely spoken about after she went missing. [1] Her whereabouts are unknown, but two coronial inquests found that she had been murdered. One of Joannes friends told A Current Affair on Monday that her former friend was scared of Chris. "That door closing was so final," adds Merilyn. Dawson would find custody difficult, Walsh said, partly because he had been diagnosed with dementia that could be linked to his past rugby league career. Christopher Dawson has been found guilty of murdering his former wife four decades ago on Sydney's northern beaches. I thought he was going to wipe the glass with it, but he didnt. In a statement to police, Chris suggested that she had joined a religious organisation. Updated. He did lose his temper quite quickly. Tonight, Lynette's daughters will likely go to sleep thinking of their mother and their father. And then there were Dawson's lies. According to Hedley Thomas, the senior News Corp journalist who has investigated the case for The Teachers Pet, Chris became increasingly angry and threatening towards Joanne. 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