Thursday 1 September 2022 01:25 AM Chris Dawson is bombarded with death threats just hours after being locked up trends now
Wife killer Chris Dawson's life has been threatened during the 48 hours he has spent in the cells, the NSW Supreme Court has been told.
Dawson on Thursday appeared before the same court he had been found guilty of murdering his first wife Lynette Dawson earlier in the week, and before the same judge, but this time he had swapped his smart suit for a set of prison greens.
The 74-year-old, limped into court wearing a Corrective Services dark green sweatshirt, track pants and green runners.
His lawyer Greg Walsh said the one-time teacher and football star had already received serious death threats from several inmates in Silverwater jail and had asked for protection but had not been given it.
He also said that Dawson was 'in shock and sad about his predicament, and worried about his children'.
Mr Walsh did not make an application for bail on Thursday morning.
He asked Justice Ian Harrison for a recommendation that Dawson get care from mental health services, but His Honour said he didn't have the power to tell Corrective Services what to do.
Following his client's conviction, Mr Walsh said that Dawson maintained his innocence and would be appealing the guilty verdict.
Sentencing is due to start on November 11.
Detectives who spent years poring over Lynette's murder case revealed the most likely spot she is buried, believing her body could be somewhere on NSW's Central Coast.
Chris Dawson was taken to Silverwater prison on Wednesday, a day after being found guilty of murdering his first wife Lynette in 1982
In 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.
His Honour said Dawson was motivated by his obsessive infatuation with schoolgirl babysitter JC, with the fear of losing her and clearing the impediment that his wife Lyn represented, as well as not losing hold of his assets as would happen in a divorce.
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***'.
Two prison officers entered the room and handcuffed him. Dawson appeared to limp as he was led away, arms stretched awkwardly in front of him, to be taken into custody.
He spent t he night in the cells at Sydney's Surry Hills police centre before being taken to Silverwater prison in western Sydney on Wednesday.
As his twin was led away, Paul Dawson could be heard talking about a woman - saying 'I told her' - and complaining about not being able to testify about some aspect of his brother's case.
Chris Dawson arrives at the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday before Justice Harrison convicted him of murdering his wife Lyn in 1982
In his decision, Justice Harrison said that potentially losing JC in early 1982 was a motive for murder: 'I am satisfied he resolved to kill his wife', and that there was also the financial motive of potentially losing his investments.
'The evidence does not reveal how he killed Lynette Dawson, nor where her body is now,' he said.
He said that the accused told a series of lies about his wife still being alive after her disappearance and about his missing her afterwards.
Lynette's brother Greg Simms said after the verdict that his sister had been 'betrayed by the man she loved', and plead for her killer to reveal where her body is.
'This is a milestone in our journey of advocating for Lyn, however the journey is not complete, she is still missing,' he said outside court.
'We still need to bring her home, we'd ask Chris Dawson to find it in himself to finally do the decent thing and allow us to bring Lyn home to a peaceful rest, showing her the dignity she deserves.'
Lyn's brother Greg Simms and his wife Merilyn are seen outside court on Tuesday
Mr Simms said his sister had been 'betrayed by the man she loved'
Dawson has been found guilty of murdering his wife Lyn
Despite finding that he was not satisfied Dawson 'caused any of the bruising on Lynette' or that he 'was physically violent towards her', Justice Harrison found him guilty of murder.
He was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Lynette is dead, that she has not been seen or heard since on or around January 8, 1982 and that she did not leave her home voluntarily.
He was also satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Dawson 'had a possessive infatuation with' the schoolgirl babysitter, JC.
Reading through his written reasons for his verdict, Justice Harrison described some of the evidence in Dawson's defence during the trial as 'fanciful, absurd and lies'.
'I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt Lynette Dawson never telephoned Christopher Dawson after 8 January 1982 and ... that she did not leave her home voluntarily,' Justice Harrison said.
Dawson was described during a summary of the crown case by His Honour as 'an unfaithful and violent man'.
