Convicted wife killer Chris Dawson allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old college student in his parents’ bed and told her “you did very well” after the encounter, a court heard.
Former teacher and rugby league player Dawson, 74, is facing a judge-only trial in NSW District Court, fighting allegations that he engaged in sexual activity with one of his pupils more than 40 years ago.
The court heard that the couple also allegedly engaged in sexual activity in the backseat of his car, in his school office and in a swimming pool while his brother sat on the other side.
Dawson pleaded not guilty to one count of carnal knowledge, relating to alleged sexual activity with a teenage girl — who can only be known as AB — between July 1980 and December 12, 1980.
He pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, with his attorney telling the court that the timing of their first sexual activity was up for debate.
Chris Dawson, 74, faces a judge-only trial in NSW District Court as he fights allegations that he engaged in sexual activity with one of his pupils more than 40 years ago
Chris Dawson at his wedding to his wife Lynette Simms. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison for her murder last year
Crown prosecutor Emma Blizard told the court that the sexual activity first occurred at Dawson’s parents’ home, at a time when AB was a student in his 11th sports class.
Wearing a prison green tracksuit, Dawson sat in the dock at Sydney’s Downing Center Court as AB gave her testimony via video link from a remote location.
AB described in court their first interactions on the playground when she was 10 years old in 1979, up to their first sexual activity at his parents’ house in Maroubra in the second half of 1980.
AB told Judge Sarah Huggett that the incident happened on a Friday or Saturday night around August or September 1980.
At the time, Dawson’s parents were away at their vacation home.
AB told the court on Tuesday that after the sexual activity on his parents’ bed, he asked if she was okay, saying, “I hope this was helpful,” “it was a good start,” and “you did very well.” .
“I was told to keep it a secret,” AB said.
The court was told that A.B. was going through a tumultuous family life at the hands of an alcoholic mother and stepfather and confided in Dawson, who had taken an interest in her.
AB told the court she first interacted with him in Year 10 when a topless photo of her, taken on a picnic, started circulating around the school and he returned it to her.
She claims he would sometimes meet her at a local pub on a Friday night and “he used to sit there talking about himself, how great he was.”
She described that as “part of the grooming process.”
Dawson looked emaciated when he appeared in NSW District Court on Monday. Court sketch above
Chris Dawson has pleaded not guilty to the carnal knowledge charge
AB said she sometimes took exercise classes at Linfield, taught by the Dawson brothers, where they would engage in alleged sexual activity afterward.
She said that on one occasion she had sexual activity with Dawson in the swimming pool, while on the other hand his twin brother had sexual activity with another young girl.
“(Dawson’s brother) Paul and (the other young girl) were on one side and we on the other side of the pool,” AB said in her evidence.
AB also told the court that Dawson would buy her chocolates before they engage in sexual activity in the back seat of his car and how he would remove the baby seat from the backrest to make room for them.
AB also told the court that she would engage in sexual activity with Dawson in his office at the school during recess.
The Crown will also rely on cards Dawson sent to AB, including one at Christmas in 1980 that read ‘Happy Christmas. Once or twice a minute. Always love. God.’
AB told the court that the reference to “God” was an attempt to disguise his name.
“He didn’t call himself a god,” said AB.
“But we must have agreed that he should call himself that, because I was 16 and he knew it.”
An extract from her Year 11 report was read to the court on Tuesday in which Dawson wrote that she was a “pleasure to teach.”
“He was referring to the lessons I learned in sexual activity,” AB said, adding that Dawson told her he thought it was “smart.”
Dawson, a former Newtown Jets player, was sentenced to 24 years in prison last year for the murder of his wife Lynette Simms.
He maintains his innocence and has filed an appeal.
Defense attorney Claire Wasley told the court that the trial had to be determined by the evidence and that Judge Sarah Huggett could not consider Dawson’s murder conviction.
Ms Wasley argued that Dawson’s “morality” was also not an issue in the trial.
Ms Wasley said the issue at trial was the timing of the first sexual activity, which they say took place after AB’s 17th birthday in early 1981.
“It is not in dispute that (Dawson engaged in sexual activity) while she was a teacher and while (AB) was a student… What is disputed is that the first instance of sexual activity occurred when she was in Year 11 was,’ Mrs Wasley said.
Ms Wasley told the court on Tuesday that Dawson was ‘struggling’ and asked to be allowed to attend proceedings from jail from Wednesday.
Judge Huggett’s trial is expected to last two weeks.