Chris Dawson to stand trial over wife’s murder
Chris Dawson will face a criminal trial over the alleged murder of his wife on Sydney's Northern Beaches nearly 40 years ago.
The former professional rugby league player and teacher is accused of killing his wife Lynette, then 33, following her sudden disappearance in 1982.
The 73-year-old had already pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife, with his lawyers applying a special request to have the proceedings stopped.
However, the High Court dismissed the application, with Dawson now due to stand trial on May 9 as a result.
Dawson has long insisted that Lynette is in fact alive and that he did not murder her.
Despite repeated excavations of the couple’s former home on the Northern Beaches, Lynette’s body was never found.
The popular podcast The Teacher’s Pet, which had an impressive following nationally and worldwide, spoke in-depth about Lynette’s disappearance.
The podcast had shed light on the case and in turn saw police re-open the case following pressure from the public – however, it has been removed from all public online sources in preparation for the trial ahead.
Dawson was eventually arrested by Queensland Police on the Gold Coast in 2018.
He remains in Queensland on bail awaiting his trial.
Image: Nine News