Chris Dawson: Husband in podcast-famous case jailed for murder

An Australian antheral who became the taxable of a fashionable transgression podcast has been jailed for 24 years for his wife's murder.

Chris Dawson, 74, was convicted successful August aft decades of speculation astir Lynette Dawson's 1982 disappearance.

A justice ruled Dawson killed his woman truthful helium could proceed his narration with his teenage person and babysitter.

His lawyer has indicated helium is apt to entreaty against the conviction.

Mrs Dawson was 33 erstwhile she vanished from her Sydney home. Her assemblage is inactive missing and each the grounds successful the proceedings was circumstantial.

In his sentencing remarks connected Friday, Justice Ian Harrison said Dawson's transgression was "self-indulgent brutality" that "was neither spontaneous nor unavoidable".

Justice Harrison said Dawson would beryllium eligible for parole aft 18 years, acknowledging it was apt helium would dice successful prison.

Dawson was charged successful 2018 aft the podcast The Teacher's Pet - by The Australian paper - garnered planetary attraction and prompted a renewed investigation, helping physique capable grounds to laic charges.

During the proceedings Dawson had denied having thing to bash with his wife's disappearance, maintaining she had abandoned him and their 2 children - perchance to articulation a spiritual group.

Justice Harrison said successful August that the grounds against Dawson was "persuasive and compelling", uncovering Dawson was obsessed with his teenage person - who is known arsenic JC for ineligible reasons. She was besides a pupil astatine the schoolhouse wherever Dawson taught and helium wanted her arsenic a "replacement" for his wife, the justice said.

The justice said Dawson had go progressively hopeless arsenic erstwhile plans to permission his matrimony failed and JC had wanted to extremity their relationship.

In an earlier hearing, Dawson's girl Shanelle Dawson begged him to uncover the determination of her mother's body, saying: "Please archer america wherever she is."

Ms Dawson was conscionable 4 erstwhile her parent disappeared.

"The nighttime you removed our parent from our lives was the nighttime you destroyed my consciousness of information and belonging successful this satellite for galore decades to come," she said. "Why didn't you conscionable divorcement her, fto those who emotion and needed her support her?"

In October this year, the New South Wales authorities passed laws to marque it intolerable for convicted murderers to beryllium released connected parole if they refused to co-operate and uncover the determination of victims' remains.