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Convicted killer Chris Dawson will be taught his destiny on Wednesday after standing trial over allegations he engaged in sexual actions with an underage schoolgirl within the Eighties.
Dawson, 74, confronted a judge-alone trial within the NSW District Court the place he battled allegations that he engaged in sexual actions with a 12 months 11 pupil throughout his time as a instructor at a Sydney faculty.
The convicted wife-killer pleaded not responsible to 1 depend of carnal information.
Following a judge-alone trial held in late May and earlier this month, Judge Sarah Huggett will on Wednesday morning at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court hand down her verdict.
During the trial, there was no dispute that Dawson engaged in sexual actions with the feminine pupil, who can solely be referred to as “AB” on account of an order of the court docket.
However, what was disputed by Mr Dawson’s counsel Claire Wasley was the timing of the primary event through which they engaged in sexual exercise.
AB instructed the court docket throughout her testimony that she was “groomed” by Dawson within the playground earlier than they first engaged in sexual exercise at his guardian’s Maroubra dwelling in about August or September 1980.
She mentioned his mother and father have been away at a vacation home and he let himself into their Chester St dwelling utilizing a spare key earlier than they engaged in sexual actions on his mother and father’ mattress.
At that point, AB was 16 years previous and enrolled in 12 months 11 on the Sydney faculty the place Dawson taught bodily schooling.
During her testimony, AB instructed the court docket that afterwards he requested if she was okay and mentioned: “I hope this was helpful”, “it was a good start” and “you did really well”.
“I was told to keep it a secret,” AB mentioned.
However, via Ms Wasley, Dawson claimed that their sexual relationship didn’t start till the next 12 months, when she was in 12 months 12 in 1981.
The court docket heard that AB turned 17-years-old in February, 1981.
“It is not submitted that it was an appropriate one, just that it did not commence whilst she was in (year 11),” Ms Wasley argued throughout the trial.
AB claimed Dawson first got here throughout her when she was in 12 months 10, when a topless picture of her started circulating across the faculty and he handed it again to her.
AB mentioned that Dawson later instructed her that he manoeuvred in order that he would train her class the next 12 months.
Dawson’s authorized crew disputed that he had any management over the scholars in his class.
AB testified that Dawson left “hundreds” of affection notes in her faculty bag and gave her playing cards on particular events.
AB mentioned she would typically accompany Chris to train lessons at Lindfield faculty, which he taught along with his twin brother Paul.
She mentioned on one event she engaged in sexual exercise with Dawson within the Lindfield faculty’s pool, whereas on the different finish Paul engaged in sexual exercise with one other younger woman.
Paul Dawson has not been charged with any offence.
AB gave proof that Dawson made an “improper” advance to her throughout a driving lesson.
And on a later event, she engaged in sexual exercise with him for the primary time, she instructed the court docket.
The driving lesson emerged as a key problem throughout the trial as it’s on the coronary heart of her timeline of occasions and when she says the primary sexual exercise occurred.
The court docket has heard she was not eligible to obtain her learner’s allow till November 1980.
According to the indictment, Dawson is accused of partaking in sexual actions with the teenager between July 1 and December 31 of 1980.
In her proof, she later mentioned the “improper” act might have in reality occurred once they have been spending time within the automotive.
She added that he usually drove her to train lessons and different locations, and it could not have been a driving lesson.
“I suggest that’s something you made up in the witness box just now,” Ms Wasley mentioned.
“No, I don’t make these things up. This happened to me,” AB mentioned as she grew to become tearful throughout her proof.
And throughout her closing deal with, Ms Wasley accused AB of mendacity about Dawson’s actions throughout the driving lesson.
The court docket was additionally learn an excerpt from her 12 months 11 report card through which Dawson wrote that she was a “pleasure to teach”.
“(AB) worked well in class and made valuable contributions in discussions. A very pleasant personality, a pleasure to teach,” Dawson wrote on the time.
During her proof, AB claimed “pleasure to teach” had a double which means which referred to their sexual actions
“He was referring to the lessons I’d learned in sexual activity that he had taught me,” AB mentioned, noting that Dawson instructed her he thought it was “clever”.
However Ms Wasley mentioned: “It’s also something that’s very easy to make up.”
The Crown relied, partially, on the proof of a number of of AB’s former schoolmates who mentioned they noticed Dawson and AB collectively within the schoolyard and his workplace.
The court docket heard that Dawson and AB have been usually sighted across the faculty playground collectively and he or she would spend her breaks in his workplace.
One of AB’s former schoolmates mentioned that she seen her good friend started going lacking throughout recess and lunch across the first half of 1980.
She mentioned she and her pals would usually go to Dawson’s workplace and knock on the door, asking for AB to come back out.
“Once I opened the door and I saw her sitting on his lap,” the girl mentioned.
The defence disputed that AB was ever seen sitting on his lap.
And Ms Wasley mentioned the very fact they have been seen collectively was according to the “counselling” sort relationship he had with the younger woman.
Dawson has already been instructed that he can count on to die in jail after he was final 12 months sentenced to a minimal of 18 years for the homicide of his spouse Lynette Simms who disappeared from their Bayview dwelling in early 1982.
Dawson has flagged his intention to enchantment towards his homicide conviction.
Source: www.news.com.au
