Wife killer Chris Dawson denied trial in secret over alleged sexual relationship with schoolgirl

Convicted wife killer Chris Dawson has been denied an application for his trial over an alleged sexual relationship with a secretly kept teenage schoolgirl.

The trial of the former Sydney school teacher over allegations that he had carnal knowledge with a student in the 1980s is about to begin.

A scrawny-looking Dawson, 74, appeared before Downing Center District Court on Monday, grim-faced and dressed in a prison green tracksuit.

Dawson is charged with one count of carnal knowledge by a teacher of a girl, identified only as AB, between the ages of 10 and 17. He was then in his thirties.

Looking skinnier than when he was last seen in public last year, Dawson sat in the dock on Monday, his head bowed as NSW District Court judge Sarah Huggett rejected his application to allow the trial to continue while the media blocked access until court were denied.

Former Sydney school teacher Chris Dawson (above with wife Lyn whom he murdered in 1982) is on trial over allegations that he had a sexual relationship with one of his teenage students in the 1980s

Dawson lost a bid from his lawyer Claire Wasley to completely suppress media coverage during the trial, with the alleged victim – now in his late 50s – giving testimony via an audiovisual link.

The court will be closed to some of the evidence regarding the alleged victim’s encounters with Dawson.

The process will take 10 days, but with hearings limited to three hour sessions a day, giving Dawson breaks due to his health issues.

It has been reported that Dawson’s mental and physical health has deteriorated since his incarceration last year.

The student was 16 when the two reportedly began having intercourse while Dawson was in his 30s (Dawson is pictured on trial for his wife’s murder last year)

Dawson was convicted of the 1982 murder of his first wife Lynette Dawson after a sensational trial the previous year, and sentenced to 24 years in prison, with an 18-year non-parole period.

A judge-only lawsuit found that Dawson killed his wife so he could have unfettered access to his schoolgirl babysitter. Lynette’s body was never found

On Monday, his older brother, attorney Peter Dawson, sat in a far corner of Downing Center District Court, separated from his brother in the dock by a corrective officer.

Chris Dawson, a former Newtown Jets rugby league player, was a sports teacher at a public high school in the Northern Beaches, where he reportedly began a relationship with a student.

The student was 16 when the two allegedly began having sexual intercourse while Dawson was in his 30s. The former teacher has denied the charges.

Dawson’s defense has successfully filed for a judge-only lawsuit on the carnal knowledge charge.