A witness in Chris Dawson's murder trial says the former Sydney school teacher asked him whether he knew anyone who could "get rid of" his first wife.
Key points:
- Robert Silkman says Chris Dawson asked him if he knew anyone who could "get rid of" his wife "for good"
- Mr Dawson is on trial accused with murdering his first wife Lynette in 1982
- Judge Ian Harrison did not allow Mr Silkman to be questioned on whether or not he could answer the request
Mr Dawson is charged with killing Lynette Dawson in January 1982 in order to pursue an "unfettered" relationship with the family's 16-year-old babysitter, who was also a student at the high school where he taught.
He denies any involvement in Ms Dawson's disappearance.
Today Robert Silkman, who played rugby league alongside Chris Dawson and his twin brother Paul in the 1970s, told the court about a trip to the Gold Coast at the end of the season in October 1975.
He said the team stayed at the Tiki Village Hotel in Surfers Paradise for "three or four days", during which the "Thrilla in Manila" boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Joe Frasier was broadcast.
Mr Silkman said on the flight back to Sydney, he was sitting in an aisle seat when Chris Dawson approached and knelt down beside him.
"[He] asked, did I know anyone who could get rid of his wife," he said.
Mr Silkman said he responded with the question "for good?" to which Mr Dawson said "yeah".
He said he was taken aback by the request, and discussed it with a friend shortly afterwards.
He said the pair agreed that Mr Dawson was "mad".
Mr Dawson's defence team successfully objected to questions put to Mr Silkman about whether or not he in fact knew anyone who would be able to carry out the request.
Defence barrister Pauline David suggested the story was "a complete lie", and questioned Mr Silkman's reliability in light of his lengthy criminal history, which included the malicious damage of property by fire and the theft of 5,000 bricks.
Ms David: "You are a person who has a very loose relationship with the truth don't you?" she asked.
Mr Silkman replied: "That's not correct."
Ms David: "I want to suggest to you that you are a person who is dishonest… if you see a dollar in it you will tell a lie… I want to suggest that you have a history of telling serious lies, Mr Silkman."
Mr Silkman repeated: "That's not correct."
He denied ever having listened to the Teacher's Pet, a podcast which examines the case in detail.
The trial before Justice Ian Harrison continues.
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2022-06-16 02:51:45Z
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