The Crown alleges that Dawson killed Lynette on or about January 8 and removed her body, possibly with assistance, and was motivated by her desire to have a free relationship with her former student and babysitter. , known as JC. Dawson and JC were married in January 1984 and separated in 1990.
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He said the day before Lynette left “there was an incident at home where she threw our … second daughter to bed and had a bit of an emotional crisis at the time”.
Detectives asked Dawson about a complaint from Lynette’s colleague, Annette Leary, who had grabbed Lynette by the neck on the way up for counseling and said, “If that doesn’t work, I’ll get rid of you.” .
“I strongly disagree because … that particular day started with the hope of saving something that after 13 years was very bankrupt,” Dawson replied.
He was also asked about the allegations made by JC, including that between October and December 1981 they had traveled across the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and he had entered a hotel while JC, then 17, remained in the car.
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“A few weeks later you said,‘ Remember when we went out to that pub? I went looking for a hitman to kill Lyn, but I decided I couldn’t do it because it would kill innocent people. “What do you have to say about this complaint?” asked the officer.
“Complete and absolute fabrication,” Dawson replied.
“The whole purpose of [JC] to accuse is to insult my character with an upcoming custody battle that has become extremely unpleasant and bitter, “Dawson said in an interview. [JC] I wouldn’t stop there to win this battle and I just think it’s … pretty obvious, these allegations are being raised about it for that purpose. “
Peter Dawson testified in the case Monday. Credit: Dean Sewell
He said JC didn’t know of the nights when he was “extremely worried” about Lynette’s whereabouts and “was awake crying my heart out waiting for contact.”
“When you live with someone and you’re trying to work in a relationship … you obviously don’t tell them you’re looking forward to contacting your ex-partner or your partner, another partner,” Dawson said.
Peter Dawson, the defendant’s older brother and lawyer, proved that he was the MC at Chris’ wedding to Lynette in 1970 and found her to be a “competent mother.”
Asked by Crown prosecutor Craig Everson, SC, about his disappearance, he said, “Due to other factors, it didn’t seem so unusual to me.”
The Crown, who was granted permission to ask questions as if it were a cross-examination, asked if Chris had ever contacted him “about the consequences of leaving his marriage to Lynette.”
“No, he didn’t,” Peter Dawson replied.
He denied Everson’s suggestion that he had told his brother in a phone call that he would lose between 60 and 70 percent of what he owned, with the loss of custody of the children.
“I didn’t know there were problems until after Christmas 1981,” he said.
He told the court he first learned of his brother’s relationship with JC on “probably February or March” 1982, “after Lyn had left.”
Asked by Dawson’s lawyer what he meant by his comment on Lynette’s disappearance, Peter Dawson said it was because his first wife’s mother “had done exactly what was described,” and said she had left. his children and “never contacted them again.”
“For that reason, I didn’t think it was unusual,” he said.
Dawson’s trial before Judge Ian Harrison continues.
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