Five reasons Chris Dawson was found guilty of murder, according to the judgment

Chris Dawson has been found guilty of murdering his wife, Lynette Dawson, on or about 8 January 1982. Here are five of the reasons Justice Ian Harrison said helped him reach that verdict.

These included that she adored her children, was mentally stable, had not taken any clothing or personal belongings with her, had made plans for the future and remained hopeful of reconciling her marriage with Dawson, despite his affair with JC.

Dawson claimed he had dropped his wife at a shopping strip in Mona Vale on 9 January 1982.

Dawson said his wife had called him multiple times after she disappeared, including on 9, 10 and 15 January. Nobody else has ever reported receiving a call from Lynette Dawson, Harrison said, and all the calls Dawson reported occurred when he was out of earshot of anyone else.

Some of the reported sightings had not been made until decades later, he found.

On the contrary, Harrison accepted that Dawson was a person of prior good character for the purposes of the trial.