Chris Dawson, a former teacher and rugby league player who was convicted of killing his wife, will have his case heard to see whether he had a romantic involvement with one of his students.
As a teacher of a young girl between the ages of 10 and 17, Dawson is on trial for one count of carnal knowledge.
Due to health concerns brought on by his advanced age, the 74-year-old will need numerous pauses throughout the trial.
He was imprisoned in 2022 for the 1982 murder of his wife Lynette when a judge determined that his motive was to have an unrestricted connection with one of his students.
In order to prevent potential witnesses from being tainted, public defender Claire Wasley requested that the NSW District Court limit the amount of information that the media can report during the trial.
She claimed that because of the excessive media coverage, even witnesses who wished to remain anonymous would be subjected to trial-related news.
Judge Sarah Huggett answered, “And they would turn it off.”
“They are instructed to do it. It is said to the jury that “we trust the jury to do that.”
Speaking on behalf of various media outlets, attorney Dauid Sibtain SC claimed there was no need to treat the trial any differently than other trials because there was no indication Ms. Wasley’s worries would come to pass.
It is more of a general apprehension than proof of a risk, he said.
Since statutory provisions already prevent complainants in cases of alleged sexual misconduct from being identified, the judge refrained from issuing any particular directives.
On the first day of the judge-alone trial, Dawson was seen sitting in the dock dressed in prison garb.
On Monday in the late afternoon, prosecutors will present their case against him.
