June 13th 2024.
Chris Dawson is eagerly awaiting the outcome of his appeal in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal, where a panel of judges will soon deliver their verdict on his conviction for the murder of his wife over 40 years ago. The decision is set to be announced on Thursday, and it will determine whether the guilty verdict against him will be overturned.
Dawson, a former teacher, was found guilty in August 2022 of killing his wife, Lynette Dawson, in 1982 and disposing of her body so he could pursue a romantic relationship with one of his teenage students. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison and is not eligible for parole until he is 92 years old in 2040.
His lawyers have argued that there was not enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Dawson was responsible for his wife's death. In May, his barrister Belinda Rigg SC presented their case to the appeal court, claiming that there was a possibility that Lynette had left her family and home to start a new life after discovering her husband's infidelity.
Rigg argued that the Supreme Court Justice who found Dawson guilty, Ian Harrison, had made a mistake in using Dawson's lies about his wife and her whereabouts as evidence of his guilt. Dawson had claimed that he received a call from Lynette on the day of her disappearance, saying she needed time alone to think, but Justice Harrison determined that Dawson had lied and that his wife was already dead at that point.
During the appeal hearings, the crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC acknowledged that there were issues with Justice Harrison's reasoning, particularly regarding Dawson's lies. However, he maintained that the guilty verdict should still stand, as Dawson's lies about the phone call were enough to prove his guilt.
Hatfield also argued that Dawson's claims about Lynette's whereabouts, such as her being at a commune in the Blue Mountains or in New Zealand, were deliberately vague and designed to avoid suspicion. He added that Dawson's version of events, in which his wife supposedly abandoned her entire life because of his affair, was highly unlikely.
If Dawson's appeal is successful, he could either be acquitted of the crime or face a retrial. The decision of the appeal court will have a significant impact on his future, and he is anxiously awaiting the outcome.
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