Chris Dawson: Teacher's Pet podcast husband 'will die in jail' for murder of wife 40 years ago

Christopher Dawson pictured at NSW Supreme Court, in Sydney.
Christopher Dawson pictured at NSW Supreme Court, in Sydney in the summer. Credit: Getty

An Australian man who was found guilty of murdering his wife 40 years ago after the case was re-opened on a crime podcast will "die in jail" after being sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Christopher Dawson was the subject of The Teacher’s Pet podcast, which has been listened to by 60 million people since 2018.

The podcast set out a circumstantial case that Dawson had murdered his wife, Lynette Dawson in 1982.

He was found guilty at the New South Wales state Supreme Court in August by a judge.

Dawson had opted for a trial by a judge instead of a jury due to his notoriety from the show. The 74-year-old was a high school teacher who was in a sexual relationship with a teenage former student and babysitter for his two daughters, identified in court as JC.

JC and Dawson married in 1984 and separated in 1990. The judge found Mr Dawson killed his wife because he feared losing his lover.

On Friday, Justice Ian Harrison sentenced Dawson to 24 years in prison, saying: “Mr Dawson will likely die in jail.”Lynette’s body has never been found and Dawson continues to maintain his innocence.

Lynette Joy Simms was killed in 1982.

In the wake of the Dawson case, New South Wales passed a law removing the option of parole for murderers who do not reveal the location of the body.

This means Dawson may never qualify for parole and will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

“Lynette Dawson’s murder was also committed for the selfish and cynical purpose of eliminating the inconvenient obstruction she presented to the creation of the new life with JC that Mr Dawson was unable to resist,” Judge Justice Harrison said.

“Lynette Dawson was faultless and undeserving of her fate.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Lynette’s brother Greg Simms said he wanted to see Dawson live a "long life in order to serve that sentence”.

“Today marks the end of a long, painful and challenging journey,” Mr Simms said outside court on Friday.

“At last we have justice for Lyn and that was our main aim.

“For our family, Lyn will always be remembered as a happy, gentle, loving daughter, sister, mother, niece, aunt and friend.

“Chris Dawson discarded her. The Dawsons disregarded her.

“From today on, we would her to be known as Lynette Joy Simms.

“No sentence is long enough for taking someone’s life. We respect and thank Judge Harrison for his sentence.”


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