29 June 2023 , 10:53
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An Australian schoolteacher who murdered his wife in a bid to start a new life with a pupil has now been found guilty of sexually assaulting the teen.
Chris Dawson murdered his wife Lynette in 1982 but was only convicted last year, after an award-winning podcast shed new light on what took place.
The former PE teacher has now been convicted on a charge of “carnal knowledge upon a girl above the age of 10 and under the age of 17.”
The charge relates to the same student Dawson began a new life with after the murder, which was one of Australia's longest-running cold cases.
He denied the murder at trial, claiming Lynette had left him and their two young children and never returned.
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Chris Dawson with Lynette and their two daughters Shanelle and SherrinLast year he was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to 24 years in prison.
The pupil, who was referred to as AB to protect her identity, alleged Dawson had sexually abused her in 1980 when she was a 16-year-old pupil in one of his classes at Cromer High School in Sydney.
Dawson, who appeared in court via video link from Sydney’s Long Bay jail, claimed he began the relationship with AB when she was 17 and no longer his student.
Judge Sarah Huggett found that Dawson had groomed the teenager while she was still his pupil.
AB said she began babysitting for Dawson when she was 16, often staying the night at his house.
“He asked me to marry him when I was 16, many, many times, I always felt obligated,” she said.
Judge Huggett said she accepted the evidence that Dawson had proposed to AB at least once in 1980, when AB was 16.
Lynette's body has never been foundThe judge established there was “powerful evidence” within a 17th birthday card sent by Dawson to AB in early 1981, in which “the accused, a mature man, as opposed to an immature teenager, was confident in the existence of a reciprocal and permanent relationship. And that was because a sexual relationship had commenced” in 1980.
Dawson dedicated the card to “the most beautiful girl in the world” and wrote “knowing we will share all the birthdays to follow”.
AB had testified against Dawson in the murder trial.
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The judge in that case found allegations that Dawson had sexually abused his 16-year-old student in 1980 were “truthful and reliable” and that Dawson’s obsession with the teenager was enough to motivate him to kill Lynette.
Dawson, appearing via video link, repeatedly swore at the camera once the judge convicted him of the sexual assault charges.
Dawson was further convicted of sexual offences (DAN HIMBRECHTS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)He will be sentenced on the “carnal knowledge” charge on September 15.
He is already serving a term of 24 years for Lynette's murder but will not be eligible for parole as long as her body remains missing.
The awarding winning Teacher's Pet podcast, produced by The Australian newspaper and hosted by journalist Hedley Thomas, looked into the case, interviewed people who were there at the time and uncovered new evidence.
It sparked police to re-open the murder case, and although taken down in Australia by the newspaper until the conclusion of the murder trial, is still available around the world including in the UK.