The Teacher's Trial

Christopher Michael Dawson will likely die in prison. That was the stark declaration of Justice Ian Harrison SC in the NSW Supreme Court, sentencing Dawson to 24 years imprisonment with no chance of parole until 2040.

We hear every word of Justice Ian Harrison’s sentencing remarks, plus reactions from Lyn and Chris’ family, and from the police and lawyers. And we revisit some of the voices you heard right at the beginning of this podcast investigation: the women who believed Lyn had been murdered, and who refused to be silent.

Plus, Hedley meets one very special member of our audience. 

For daily updates from The Australian, search for "The Front" in your podcast app.

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Lyn's oldest daughter, Shanelle Dawson, walked into a Sydney courtroom and spoke from the heart about the killing of her mother, the selfishness of her father, and the ongoing damage to her life as a result of the murder. Shanelle's extraordinary victim impact statement, delivered by her through tears, sorrow and anger, brought witnesses and even court staff to tears.

Lyn's siblings, Greg Simms and Pat Jenkins, shared their pain too, as Justice Ian Harrison weighed the sentence he will impose on convicted killer Chris Dawson, 40 years after Lyn's death.

For daily updates from The Australian, search for "The Front" in your podcast app.

The National Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Counselling Service can be reached on 1800RESPECT. Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.

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Hedley Thomas, Claire Harvey, David Murray, and Matthew Condon return to cover hearings in a major public inquiry into Queensland's state-run DNA lab. 

A new episode will be published at the end of every week, for the duration of the inquiry.

Search for "Shandee's Story" in your podcast app, and press follow or subscribe to be notified when new episodes are released. You can read The Australian's coverage of the inquiry at theaustralian.com.au. 

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In our third and final episode diving into Justice Ian Harrison's meticulously detailed judgment, we look at the evidence of Lyn being bruised and her accounts of being subjected to acts of violence at the hands of her husband Chris.

Hedley, Claire, Matthew, and David also discuss the judge’s findings about the evidence given by members of the Simms and Dawson camps, as well as “the paper boy" and "the trolley boy".

As this will be our final episode for some time, we consider Lyn Dawson's legacy and hear from one listener about the profound impact a verdict 40 years in the making has had on her.

For daily updates from The Australian, search for "The Front" in your podcast app.

The National Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Counselling Service can be reached on 1800RESPECT. Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“A brilliant piece of writing.” That’s the verdict of acclaimed author Matthew Condon on Justice Ian Harrison’s 238-page judgment. Our in-depth analysis of the decision begins with the lie that brought Chris Dawson's defence undone: a call – supposedly made by his wife, Lyn – to  the Northbridge Baths on January 9, 1982.

Hedley, Claire, David, and Matthew also take a closer look at the evidence of JC, turning up damning details of how Dawson would buy the teenage student chocolate before they had sex in his car. The convicted killer’s sex with JC continued in his school office, at his university, his twin brother’s home and in his own home when Lyn was in the shower or asleep.

We revisit comments by the former Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdery QC, in 2018 that Lyn could still be alive, that shocked her family. And Hedley and Claire meet The Honourable Geoffrey Davies, a former judge of the Queensland Court of Appeal, who says it’s hard to understand how it took 40 years to prosecute.

You can see Liam Mendes' photo of Paul Dawson here. 

For daily updates from The Australian, search for "The Front" in your podcast app.

The National Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Counselling Service can be reached on 1800RESPECT. Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forty years after Lyn Dawson disappeared from Sydney's Northern Beaches, Christopher Michael Dawson has been convicted of her murder. In this episode, we'll take you to the moments leading up to and following that pivotal moment. 

Hedley Thomas, Claire Harvey, David Murray, and Matthew Condon share their experience of being in the courtroom when Justice Ian Harrison handed down his explosive verdict. Plus, we'll hear what this finding means for Lyn's family, who never stopped fighting for justice for their beloved daughter, sister, and aunt. 

To read The Australian's ongoing coverage of the trial, search 'The Teacher's Trial' or go here.

The National Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Counselling Service can be reached on 1800RESPECT. Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Michael Dawson has finally learned his fate after Justice Ian Harrison handed down his verdict in the NSW Supreme Court.
 
Dawson was charged with one count of murdering his wife, Lynette, in early 1982.
 
We hear from retired homicide detective, Gary Jubelin, what happens next, now that the marathon trial and deliberations have wrapped.

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After 40 years, a verdict is just days away. As anticipation builds, we answer more of your questions: What happened to the dressmaker who Lyn talked to about her bruises and her “violent” husband Chris? Do inquest findings carry any weight in a criminal trial? What does reasonable doubt mean anyway?

We have a frank and honest discussion about how the language we use to talk about crime has evolved. And we hear from a woman who's travelling hundreds of kilometres to hear the verdict in person out of respect for Lyn, a woman she has never met.

For daily updates from The Australian, search for "The Front" in your podcast app.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We finally get an answer to the question that's been lingering for weeks: when will Justice Ian Harrison return a verdict? We're also taking the opportunity to answer some of the fascinating and complex questions sent in by you, our listeners. And we meet a figure who's loomed over the trial of Christopher Michael Dawson: Helena Simms, the mother of Lynette Dawson, who never stopped looking for her beloved, lost daughter. 

For daily updates from The Australian, search for "The Front" in your podcast app.

The National Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Counselling Service can be reached on 1800RESPECT. Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two coroners examined Lyn Dawson’s disappearance and recommended a ‘known person’ - her husband Chris - be charged with her murder. We delve into how the inquests unfolded, finding out what one of the coroners had to say when Chris, his twin brother Paul, and Paul’s wife Marilyn did not attend. And we explore the interaction between podcasting and the criminal justice system, talking to two women who turned to audio investigations after all else failed, with remarkable results.

For daily updates from The Australian, search for "The Front" in your podcast app.

The National Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Counselling Service can be reached on 1800RESPECT. Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.