Teacher’s Pet podcast was so popular it could stop murder suspect Chris Dawson from getting a fair trial, magistrate claims
- Chris Dawson, 71, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Lynette
- Lynette Dawson disappeared from Sydney’s northern beaches in 1982
- The case was the subject of a highly popular investigative podcast series
- Veteran Sydney magistrate warned media scrutiny could prejudice trial
A veteran Sydney magistrate has warned that some reporting of the case surrounding Chris Dawson could prejudice his trial.
The former teacher, 71, appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday after pleading not guilty to murdering his wife Lynette Dawson.
He was also charged in June with carnal knowledge of a girl aged between 10 and 17.
Lynette went missing from Sydney’s northern beaches in 1982.
Chris Dawson appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday after being charged in December with the murder of his wife Lynette Dawson
Dawson was charged in December over the disappearance of his then-wife Lynette (pictured) on Sydney’s northern beaches in 1982
The case was the subject of the highly popular investigative podcast series The Teacher’s Pet, which has led to questions over the fairness of the trial.
Producers of the podcast, The Australian newspaper, took it down when Mr Dawson was first arrested but it is still available on social media sites.
Deputy chief magistrate Michael Allen said he was concerned the community’s confidence in the justice system could be undermined due to the media scrutiny.
He said had not seen a case receive such broad and intense media scrutiny in the 35 years he has been involved in criminal law.
If media organisations or individuals chip away at ‘the community’s confidence in the justice system’ for their own commercial gain, ‘we will all end up in a very dark place’, he said.
‘Someone would have to be living in a cave or be naive in the extreme to perhaps ignore the potential for unfairness to a person who receives this level of media scrutiny so broadly and over this period of time.’
In the days after his wife disappeared babysitter Joanne Curtis (pictured), who was in a sexual relationship with Dawson (left), moved into the house. She would later marry Dawson and have one daughter, before the couple split
He said the law was there to ensure guilty people were punished and innocent people set free.
‘It’s also here to ensure that people, even guilty people … are assured of a fair, transparent trial (and) proper and due process.’
While the podcast has been taken down in Australia, it can still be accessed from overseas.
During the discussion over subpoenas and other legal issues, Mr Dawson’ solicitor Greg Walsh referred to his client continually being described as ‘a murderer’.
He said it was a ‘considerable concern’ because it is prejudicial to his client.
A committal hearing was set down for February 10. The case will be mentioned again on September 19.