A former teacher is on trial accused of killing his wife 40 years ago after he became infatuated with one of his female pupils.
Chris Dawson appeared in court in Sydney, Australia, at the start of an eight-week trial in a case which has shocked Australia.
The ex-professional rugby player and sports teacher, now 73, has always claimed his wife Lynette simply left him, their home, and their two small daughters, but two inquests have named him as her killer.
On Monday, in an opening statement in the Supreme Court, prosecutor Craig Everson said Mr Dawson was motivated to kill his wife so he could have an "unfettered" relationship with a school student.
The student, Joanne Curtis was 16 at the time, and later went on to marry her former teacher, in the years after his first wife went missing.
Mr Everson told the court that Mr Dawson was "infatuated with her. He repeatedly asked her to marry him".
He added: "He was motivated to kill his wife by his desire to have an unfettered relationship."
Ms Curtis is expected to give evidence later in the case to say Mr Dawson had asked a rugby teammate Robert Silkman, who admitted having connections to the underworld, about helping him hire a potential hitman to "get rid" of his wife.
The prosecution's case is that on or about January 8, 1982, Mr Dawson either alone or with another person murdered Lynette Dawson and then later, possibly with assistance, disposed of her body.
Mrs Dawson's remains have never been found.
She has not made contact with any of her family since she went missing and the prosecution argues there are more than reasonable prospects of conviction.
The court heard Dawson initially told Ms Curtis that his wife was "gone and wouldn't be coming back".
He moved Ms Curtis into the family home just two days later and waited six weeks before reporting his wife missing to police.
Mr Dawson made a successful application for a judge-only trial claiming the case could not be heard by a jury as it had garnered too much publicity from an podcast called the Teacher's Pet.
The awarding winning Teacher's Pet podcast, produced by The Australian newspaper and hosted by journalist Hedley Thomas, looked into the case, interviewed people who were there at the time and uncovered new evidence.
It sparked police to re-open the case, and although taken down in Australia by the newspaper until the conclusion of the trial, is still available around the world including in the UK.
Mr Dawson's defence team also asked for the entire trial to be subject to a non-publication order.
This morning Justice Ian Harrison rejected the application on the basis of open justice and the trial can be reported as it happens.
The case has been adjourned and will resume on Wednesday.
