Chris Dawson was sentenced to a further three years in prison on Friday, after he was found guilty of “carnal knowledge” (sexual abuse) of a student while he was a teacher in Sydney in the 1980s.
Dawson is already serving a 24-year maximum sentence for the murder of his wife Lynette in 1982. He was found guilty of this last year, 40 years after the murder.
He was found guilty of carnal knowledge in the NSW District Court in June.
Who is Chris Dawson?
Dawson is a 75-year-old former professional rugby league player who taught on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in the 1980s.
He came to public prominence as the subject of The Teacher’s Pet podcast in 2018, which investigated the disappearance of his wife Lynette. Police began re-investigating the case in 2015 and Dawson was arrested in December 2018.
Dawson was formally accused of carnal knowledge after he was charged with the murder of his wife.
Dawson’s latest sentencing
Dawson was given three extra years in prison on Friday, in addition to the 24 years for last year’s murder sentencing. There will be a two-year non-parole period.
His murder sentencing carried a minimum of 18 years’ imprisonment.
It means that, with Friday’s sentencing, Dawson won’t be eligible to leave prison before 2041. He will be in his early 90s by then.
