Convicted assassin and former Sydney schoolteacher Chris Dawson will combat allegations he had a sexual relationship with one in every of his teenage college students at trial, however he can solely sit for a most of three hours a day with common breaks, a court docket has been advised.
The 74-year-old has been charged with one rely of carnal information by a trainer, regarding an alleged relationship with a lady aged between 10 and 17 within the Eighties.
Dawson was sentenced in December to 24 years in jail over the homicide of his spouse Lynette Simms.
Following on from the prolonged trial within the second half of 2022, Dawson will now face a contemporary combat within the NSW District Courtroom on Monday.
The matter was briefly talked about in court docket on Tuesday. Dawson’s public defender Claire Wasley advised the court docket there was a health problem.
“The explanation it was listed was as a result of Mr Dawson could solely be capable to sit for 2 hours a day which might trigger points with the timeframe of the trial,” Ms Wasley mentioned.
Nonetheless, the court docket was advised a physician had now mentioned Dawson may sit for 3 hours a day – however he’ll want a 15-minute break each hour.
“If he sits for 3 hours a day with a 15-minute break … it won’t trigger any issue in finishing the trial within the two-week estimate,” Ms Wasley mentioned.
Dawson’s cognitive and bodily issues have been aired throughout his Supreme Courtroom trial, the place it was revealed he had been identified with dementia.
The court docket was beforehand advised Dawson confirmed indicators of power traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative mind situation typically suffered by individuals who maintain head accidents taking part in contact sports activities.
Crown prosecutors allege Dawson started a relationship with the scholar whereas he was a sports activities trainer at a public highschool on Sydney’s northern seashores.
The scholar was allegedly 16 on the time, whereas Dawson was aged in his 30s.
The previous Newtown Jets rugby league participant denies the cost.
Final month, the NSW District Courtroom allowed for Dawson’s destiny to be determined by a choose fairly than a jury given the case’s doubtless publicity.
The court docket was additionally advised the trial was anticipated to run for simply two weeks, and Dawson was to seem in individual from Lengthy Bay jail.
The carnal information case will hinge on when Dawson first had intercourse with the scholar, with the Crown searching for to show Dawson was nonetheless the lady’s trainer on the time.
Dawson’s homicide trial was additionally heard in entrance of a choose after his defence argued the pre-trial publicity meant a jury was unsuitable.
Justice Ian Harrison final 12 months convicted Dawson of the homicide of his spouse, who vanished from their Bayview residence in January 1982.
Over the previous 4 a long time, Dawson has persistently maintained his innocence.
Justice Harrison mentioned the one clarification was that he killed his 33-year-old spouse to be with the younger scholar.
He was discovered to have killed his spouse simply weeks after he had unsuccessfully tried to run off and begin a brand new life in Queensland.
“(The crime) was neither spontaneous nor unavoidable,” Justice Harrison mentioned.
He described Dawson’s crime as one in every of “self-indulgent brutality”.
Dawson will first be eligible for parole in August 2040, with Justice Harrison saying it’s doubtless he’ll die in jail.
His legal professionals have lodged an intention to attraction the responsible verdict.
