A trial of Chris Dawson, the former teacher and rugby league player convicted of murdering his wife, Lynette, will begin on Monday afternoon examining his alleged relationship with one of his students.
Dawson is on trial accused of one count of carnal knowledge as a teacher of a girl aged over 10 and under 17 years of age.
The 74-year-old will be given frequent breaks during the trial due to health issues.
He was jailed in 2022 for murdering Lynette in January 1982, with a judge finding he was motivated by a desire to pursue an unfettered relationship with one of his students.
Public defender Claire Wasley asked for the New South Wales district court to restrict what media can report during the trial, to avoid contaminating witnesses yet to give evidence.
There has been too much media attention and even witnesses seeking to avoid news on the trial would be exposed to information, she said.
“And they would turn it off,” judge Sarah Huggett responded.
“That’s what they’re told to do. Jurors are told that … we trust jurors to do that.”
Barrister Dauid Sibtain SC, arguing on behalf of several media organisations, said there was no evidence Wasley’s concerns would eventuate and there was no reason to treat the trial differently from any other.
“It is a general apprehension as opposed to evidence of a risk,” he said.
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The judge did not make any specific orders, noting statutory laws already protect complainants in cases of alleged sexual offending from being identified.
Dawson appeared in prison greens sitting in the dock for the first day of the judge-alone trial.
Prosecutors will open their case against him on Monday afternoon.
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