Chris Dawson has been granted bail after being arrested and charged with the murder of his former wife Lynette, who disappeared 37 years ago.
According to news.com.au, former high school teacher Dawson was granted bail by a NSW court on Monday on a $1.5 million security, with his brother Peter offering a $750,000 bail surety himself. The news outlet claims the accused is also required to put his million-dollar home on the line.
Other bail conditions include reporting daily to police, and not travelling more than 20km from his Coolum, Queensland home, multiple news outlets report.
Dawson was arrested and charged with Lynette’s murder earlier this month. Police raided his home on the Gold Coast and he was extradited to Sydney the next day to face his charges. It came almost 37 years after the mother-of-two was declared missing from her Sydney home on January 9, 1982.
Dawson appeared via audio-visual link from Silverwater Jail, where he will be released later today under the strict conditions.
According to reporters who were live tweeting the court case, Magistrate Robert Williams at the Central Local Court said: “I consider the Crown’s case is not a weak case.”
“I consider the Crown’s case is not a weak case,” Magistrate says in Chris Dawson bail decision
— Ursula Heger (@ursulaheger) December 17, 2018
And news.com.au report him also saying that if Dawson is found guilty at trial, he will “receive a lengthy custodial sentence”.
Dawson’s arrest came after popular podcast The Teacher’s Pet, produced by The Australian, revisited the cold case in detail and recalled how Dawson claimed at the time that his wife needed time away when she left.
Following Dawson’s arrest, his family said they were “disappointed”. The family slammed the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), claiming Dawson was innocent and that there was still more evidence to be investigated.
“We are disappointed at the decision of the DPP as there is clear and uncontested evidence that Lyn Dawson was alive long after she left Chris and their daughters,” the statement posted on social media read. “We have no doubt whatsoever that Chris will be found not guilty as he is innocent. There will be no further comment. Please respect the privacy of Chris and his family.”
Statement from Chris Dawson’s family re arrest pic.twitter.com/mWQy7LhvM0
— Jessica Ridley (@jessicaridleytv) December 5, 2018
Read more: Chris Dawson to spend weekend in jail following $1.5M bail bid
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told media that additional evidence had been identified that enabled police to build a case against Dawson.
“They were predominately statements from witnesses that helped us tie pieces of the puzzle together,” he explained.
“No doubt it will be a voluminous brief with an enormous amount of evidence and obviously there will be a number of witnesses that will be called.”
Despite two coronial inquests recommending Chris be prosecuted for murder in the past, the DPP stated at the time there was insufficient evidence to lay charges.
Proudly Australian owned and operated