A court has heard that Lynette Dawson revealed to her sister that her husband Chris was “angry with her all the time” before her mysterious disappearance.
Chris Dawson is currently standing trial before the NSW Supreme Court for the alleged 1983 murder of his wife Lynette “Lyn” Dawson.
The 33-year-old mother of two disappeared from the family’s Bayview home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in 1982, and though her remains were never found, two coronial inquiries ruled that Lynette was murdered and claimed it was by someone she knew.
Before the trial commenced Chris told 9 News that he was “looking forward to justice to be served and the truth coming out” as the trial begins.
“I just want the truth to come out,” he said.
Chris has continuously denied involvement in his wife’s disappearance and maintains that she abandoned him and their young children to join a religious group in the Blue Mountains.
Lynette’s sister, Patricia Jenkins took the witness stand on Tuesday, May, 18 revealing Lynette had thought Chris “needed to go see a doctor” regarding his angry behaviour.
“She said to me he was always so angry with her all the time,” Jenkins said.
“Her descriptive words were ‘his black eyes flashing’. And she thought he needed to go see a doctor to see if it was some physical cause that he would react to her in such an angry way.”
According to news.com.au, Jenkins also revealed she had initially hoped that her sister would be found alive following her mysterious disappearance.
Alleged claims of “animosity” between Chris and his former wife have dominated the Crown prosecution’s argument since the alleged murder trial began on Monday, May 9, as well as allegations that Chris had approached witness Robert Silkman to see if he knew someone who could “get rid of his wife”.
Defence barrister, Pauline David said there wasn’t “a scintilla of truth” to the allegations that Chris had organised to hire a hitman in her opening statement to the court.
“The defence position is there is not a scintilla of truth to the suggestion that the accused approached Mr Silkman, or any other person, at any time because he was motivated in any way to get rid of his wife Lynette Dawson,” she said.
“It is a suggestion that is emphatically and utterly denied.”
David has also criticised the police investigation that took place at the time, claiming there was evidence that Lynette was still alive following her disappearance.
Chris has claimed Lynette called him to tell him she would not be coming home after he dropped her off at a bus stop.
David conceded that Chris “may have failed her as a husband, but he did not kill her”.
“Christopher Dawson, the accused, did not kill Lynette Dawson,” she said.