REVEALED: The mysterious letter written by a family friend who warned Lyn Dawson she was ‘crazy’ to leave her husband Chris alone with his student Joanne Curtis – as he is set to go on trial for his wife’s murder
- Chris Dawson, 71, had a committal hearing for the murder of his wife on Thursday
- Lynette Dawson, then 33, vanished from Sydney’s northern beaches in 1982
- He was allegedly in a sexual relationship with teenager Joanne Curtis at the time
- Elva McBay, now 101, tendered a four-page letter as evidence at the hearing
- It revealed Lyn had been warned not to leave her husband alone with his student
A letter penned by a family friend has revealed Lyn Dawson was warned she was ‘crazy’ to leave her husband alone with his teenage student before she disappeared.
Elva McBay, 101, tendered a four-page letter at Chris Dawson’s committal hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.
The former PE teacher, 71, is charged with the murder of his wife Lyn, who vanished from Sydney’s northern beaches in January 1982, in a case made famous by the popular podcast ‘The Teacher’s Pet’.
Ms McBay wrote that she had told Lyn to get the girl out of her home and that the teenager had allegedly threatened to take the mother’s life.
Ms McBay wrote that she warned Lyn (pictured with one of her daughters) to kick the teenager out of her home
Chris Dawson (centre) leaves Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney, Wednesday, February 12
‘Lyn said that there had been frequent disagreements and arguments between Joanne and herself and that during one of these arguments Joanne had threatened to kill her,’ Ms McBay’s letter seen by the Weekend Australian reads.
The case concentrates on the former Newtown Jets rugby league star’s alleged sexual relationship with his school student Joanne Curtis, who would babysit for the couple.
In the undated letter, Ms McBay stated she became concerned and surprised to learn the teenager had moved into the family home to help out with the Dawsons’ two daughters, Shanelle and Sherryn.
She wrote that the move was intended so Dawson could ‘help Joanne with her studies’ but during several conversations with Lyn during 1981 she noticed things were becoming rocky.
The letter discloses the teenager was increasingly spending time with Dawson and becoming hostile towards Lyn, prompting Ms McBay to warn her to remove Ms Curtis from her home before the situation grew worse.
But Lyn is said to have responded: ‘Chris and I love each other and I trust him implicitly’.
The letter adds that on one occasion Lyn dropped in to visit Ms McBay, who was at her sister-in-law’s home, Dawson’s twin brother Paul’s wife, Marilyn.
Lyn told the women she was taking her daughters out for a while so her husband and Curtis could study without being disturbed.
‘Both Marilyn and I were amazed at this and I told her quite frankly that she was crazy to go away and leave her husband and a teenage girl who obviously had a crush on Chris alone in the house,’ Ms McBay wrote.
Lynette (Lyn) Dawson (right with Chris) disappeared from her family’s Bayview home, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, on January 9, 1982 and was the subject of the popular ‘The Teacher’s Pet’ podcast which sparked international interest in the case
But by Christmas, Ms McBay felt the Dawson’s marital issues had settled after Lyn phoned her asking for advice buying a present for her husband.
Ms McBay wrote it came to her as a massive shock when Lyn went missing the following month.
The family friend was the first witness to give evidence at the four-day hearing that began on Monday.
On Thurday, Dawson was committed to stand trial in the NSW Supreme Court, which is expected to take place this year.
He will appear before the court in April for arraignment on his charge.