Chris and Lynette Dawson. Photo / Supplied
The eldest daughter of convicted killer Chris Dawson has broken down in court as she spoke of the moment she had to explain to her daughter why her “grandfather killed her grandmother”.
The former Newtown Jets player and teacher has been waiting to learn his fate after he was, in August, convicted of killing his wife Lynette 40 years ago.
On Thursday, the 74-year-old returned to the NSW Supreme Court, where Justice Ian Harrison heard submissions from Dawson’s lawyers and Crown prosecutors about how much time he should spend behind bars.
The court fell silent as Dawson was ushered into the dock just after noon wearing his green prison tracksuit – the first time he has been seen since entering jail 10 weeks ago.
He briefly spoke with his lawyer before Justice Ian Harrison began the hearing.
His eldest daughter Shanelle took to the victim box to read an emotional victim impact statement.
Shanelle, who was just four when her mother disappeared, stared her father down before she began talking, telling him, “You are not God”, after he lied about her mother’s death for 41 years.
“There are not enough words in the English language to describe the impact of 41 years of deceit, trauma, silence and gaslighting,” Shanelle told her father.
“I couldn’t believe someone I loved and trusted is capable of a heart-wrenching, selfish act.”
Shanelle told the court she went to “great lengths” to keep her father’s act a secret from her young daughter.
But she had to reveal what happened after a friend had told her.
“I had to tell my beautiful, innocent daughter why her grandfather killed her grandmother,” Shanelle said through tears.
“She had many questions… confusion, anger, grief. She kept asking, ‘Why did he do that?’ – the same question that’s tortured me for many years.
“Why didn’t you just divorce her… because of money, for God’s sake?”
Dawson kept his head down and eyes closed while his eldest daughter addressed him.
Shanelle said her mother was made “invisible” throughout her childhood, as there were no photos or memories of her mother shared with her.
The 45-year-old said the lies of her father “messed her up”, and she lost the “protection” her father was supposed to provide.
While she stared at her dad, she asked him one final question.
“Please tell us where she is,” Shanelle said.
“I want my life back… I hope you will finally tell us the truth.”
The ultimate betrayal
Prior to Shanelle taking the stand, a victim impact statement written by Lynette’s brother was also read to the court by a representative.
“You were accepted into our family unconditionally when you married Lyn,” the statement opened.
“We considered you an equal in all respects. We trusted you, and you repaid us by committing the ultimate betrayal.
“You betrayed us and belittled us by taking Lyn away.”
In his statement, Greg Simms said Dawson had caused the entire family “heartache”.
Simms said Dawson was “hell-bent on one thing – getting what you wanted at any cost”.
“You have been able to pull the wool over your family’s eyes, especially your youngest daughter,” the statement said.
In a reference to Shanelle, the statement said Dawson had “no love for her”.
“You just pushed her out of your life without support, leaving her virtually a pauper,” the statement said.
“The way you kept our mother thinking Lynette was still alive and going to ring her was lower than low.”
A victim impact statement was also read to the court on behalf of Lynette’s sister Patricia Jenkins, who described the “deep, dark void” of losing her sister.
“I was in shock and traumatised to get the news of Lyn’s disappearance, and it brings me to tears now to remember that time,” the statement said.
“I was confused, alarmed, distressed, and in a deep, dark void, not knowing what had happened to my sister.”
Once the victim impact statements were read to the court, Dawson’s defence solicitor Greg Walsh tendered documents to the court, including a statement from the 74-year-old’s third daughter in support of her father.
Crown prosecutor Craig Everson SC told the court he was seeking a life sentence for Dawson.
Everson told the court the “domestic violence murder” of Dawson’s wife was “heinous” and caused substantial harm to other people.
He outlined five factors that he said Justice Harrison should consider in determining the killer’s sentence, including Dawson’s state of mind, his preparation and planning, the domestic violence factor, how Lynette’s body was “concealed”, and that “substantial harm was caused to others”.
“The deliberate and conscious act of the offender was done with the intention to kill,” Everson said.
The prosecutor told the court Dawson had shown “no remorse” and his lack of a criminal record did not mitigate the offence.
Shortly before the court was adjourned for lunch, Justice Harrison told Everson to make submissions on whether Dawson should be sentenced following rules in 1982 or 2022.
Everson told the court a life sentence would be appropriate by the standards in 1982 as well as in 2022.
After being found guilty, Dawson was detained at Silverwater Correctional Centre in western Sydney while he awaited sentencing proceedings, but has since been moved to Macquarie Correctional Centre for his safety.
The court was told in September that he was subjected to death threats while on remand at Silverwater.
“He’s been subject to serious death threats by a number of prisoners. It’s not unusual, having regard to his profile and the charge he’s been convicted of,” his solicitor Greg Walsh told reporters at the time.
On August 30, Justice Harrison found Dawson told decades of lies to cover up killing his wife in January 1982.
In a gruelling five-hour judgment, he found Dawson was “infatuated” and “obsessed” with a former student who was the couple’s babysitter – who can only be referred to as JC – and that drove him to murder his wife.
Justice Harrison ruled the mother-of-two was dead and had not left the home of her own accord.
He said he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Dawson did not abandon her family and would not have left her two daughters, and dismissed claims she had been alive after January 1982.
“I am left in no doubt. I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the only rational inference [is that] Lynette Dawson died on or about 8 January 1982, as a result of a conscious or voluntary act committed by Christopher Dawson,” the judge said.
Walsh has previously said that Dawson continues to deny killing his wife and “asserts that he’s innocent”.
Since the guilty verdict, police have continued their search for Ms Dawson’s body and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Dawson’s lawyers have filed a notice of intention to appeal on his behalf.
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