“Mr Dawson is not old by contemporary standards, but the reality is he will not live to reach the end of his non-parole period, or will alternatively, by reason of his deteriorating cognitive condition and physical capacity, become seriously disabled before then even if he does,” Justice Harrison said.
“I recognise that the unavoidable prospect is that Mr Dawson will probably die in jail.”
Justice Ian Harris delivering the sentence to Chris Dawson. Source: Nine.
Dawson was charged with his wife’s murder in 2018. He pleaded not guilty and has always maintained his innocence.
“You took that away and so much more and you have no right to. You are not God.”
The court heard about the harrowing moment Shanelle told her young daughter what her grandfather had done.
“I had to explain to my beautiful, innocent daughter why her grandfather killed her grandmother,” she said, per the ABC.
“She kept asking, ‘Why did he do that?’ The same question that’s tortured me for many years.
“Why didn’t you just divorce her? Because of money? For God’s sake.”
As Dawson sat silently in the dock, his daughter asked him one last question.
“Please tell us where she is,” Shanelle said.
“I hope you will finally admit the truth to yourself and give us the closure we need.”
