Chris Dawson: Husband in podcast-famous case guilty of murder

Chris Dawson outside the New South Wales Supreme Court

An Australian man who became the subject of a popular crime podcast has been found guilty of his wife's murder - 40 years after she went missing.

Chris Dawson's trial followed decades of speculation about the 1982 disappearance of his wife, Lynette.

A judge ruled Dawson killed his wife so he could continue his relationship with his teenage lover and babysitter, known only as JC for legal reasons.

Mrs Dawson's body is still missing and all the evidence was circumstantial.

Dawson was charged in 2018 after the podcast, The Teacher's Pet, garnered global attention and prompted a renewed investigation.

A sentencing date is yet to be set and Dawson's lawyer has indicated he is likely to appeal against the conviction.

The 74-year-old denies killing Mrs Dawson, maintaining she had abandoned him and their two children - possibly to join a religious group.

But while handing down his verdict on Tuesday, Justice Ian Harrison said the evidence against Dawson was "persuasive and compelling".

The judge found Dawson was obsessed with JC, who was also a student at the school where he taught, and wanted her as a "replacement" for his wife.

Justice Harrison said Dawson had become increasingly desperate as previous plans to leave his marriage failed and JC had wanted to end their relationship.

"I'm satisfied that the prospect that he would lose [JC] so distressed, frustrated, and ultimately overwhelmed him that... Mr Dawson resolved to kill his wife," he told the New South Wales Supreme Court.

JC and Dawson eventually married and had a child, but divorced several years later. At the trial, she said Dawson had "groomed" her and treated her like a "slave" after Mrs Dawson disappeared.

Lynette Dawson's body has never been found

Mrs Dawson's brother welcomed the verdict, but said "the journey is not yet complete" and called for her body to be returned.

Greg Simms appealed for Dawson to "finally do the decent thing" and "allow us to bring Lynette home to a peaceful rest, finally showing her some dignity she deserves".

Tears from Lynette Dawson's family

Phil Mercer, BBC News at NSW Supreme Court

Ashen and dazed. Chris Dawson appeared to be in shock as he stepped into a lift on the 13th floor of the court with his older brother, Peter, and his lawyer during a break in the judge's deliberations.

I stood an arm's length away from a man who a couple of hours later would become a convicted killer.

After 40 years, the mystery and tragedy of Lynette Dawson's disappearance have finally been solved.

The judge demolished her husband's defence, labelling key parts "absurd" and "fanciful".

There were gasps from his family members when the guilty verdict was eventually handed down. There were tears from Lynette Dawson's relatives who sat quietly nearby.

The former teacher was led away in handcuffs, shaking his head. Justice Harrison's lengthy verdict has finally exposed his lies and deceit.

The case shot to global prominence when it was investigated by journalist Hedley Thomas in podcast The Teacher's Pet.

The series won Australian journalism's highest honour and has been downloaded more than 60 million times, topping charts around the world.

The podcast and its impact were key issues in the trial, with Justice Harrison criticising its "less than balanced view" on the case and ruling it had affected the evidence of some witnesses.

The case was initially delayed due to publicity the podcast created, and Dawson's lawyers tried to halt it altogether, arguing the series had contaminated his shot at a fair trial.

Dawson was instead granted a trial before a single judge, rather than jury.

Victim 'idolised her children'

Lynette Dawson, a 33-year-old mother of two, disappeared from her Sydney home in January 1982. Police have never found any trace of her.

Two separate inquests into her disappearance concluded that she was killed by a "known person".

But until the podcast explored the case, prosecutors had said there was not enough evidence to lay charges.

Lynette Dawson's brother Greg Simms and his wife Merilyn fought for a renewed investigation

Dawson has maintained his wife phoned him one weekend in January 1982 and said she needed time away. He said he also received several calls from her afterwards.

His defence team pointed to alleged sightings by five people after Mrs Dawson was reported missing as evidence she could have been alive after January 1982.

But prosecutors argued Dawson was driven to murder after his failed plots to leave the marriage - which they said included contemplating hiring a hitman, and a thwarted move to Queensland to start a new life with JC.

Justice Harrison rejected the claim about the hitman, but said he was satisfied that Chris Dawson had intentionally caused Lynette Dawson's death.

The judge said Mrs Dawson appeared to "adore" her husband, had made several plans for the future and did not have the financial means to support herself for long, all of which made it "extremely unlikely" that she would decide to leave.

None of Mrs Dawson's friends and family have heard from her since she disappeared.

Considering the circumstantial evidence as a whole, Justice Harrison said he was "left with no doubt" that Dawson had indeed killed his wife and disposed of her body.