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Former Sydney rugby league player and teacher Chris Dawson murdered his wife and disposed of her body in 1982 because he was infatuated with one of his students, a judge has heard.

Opening the trial on Monday, crown prosecutor Craig Everson SC said Dawson, 73, had called his wife Lynette Dawson a "fat and ugly bitch" and had entered into a consensual relationship with one of his students, known only as JC, repeatedly asking her to marry him.

"He was motivated to kill his wife Lynette by his desire to have an unfettered relationship with [JC]," Mr Everson said.

Dawson allegedly tried to sell his Bayview home without his wife's permission and briefly moved to Queensland to start a new life with JC before returning to Sydney.

Justice Ian Harrison heard Dawson had contemplated hiring a hitman to get rid of his wife, once when returning from holiday on the Gold Coast in October 1975 and a second time in late 1981 at the Newtown Rugby League Club after a visit with JC.

"JC will testify that when he, the accused, returned from inside ... he told her that he contemplated, thought about, getting a hitman to get rid of his wife but decided against it because innocent people would be hurt," Mr Everson said.

The Crown alleges Dawson eventually murdered his wife around January 8, 1982 but had lied to friends and family members, saying she had called him after that date.

While witnesses claimed they saw Ms Dawson after January 8, Mr Everson said there was no realistic possibility she was alive at that time.

Dawson is accused of having a level of animosity towards his wife about her failure to bear children at the same time as his twin brother, Paul Dawson. The couple eventually had two children together.

The Crown's case relies on inferences to be drawn from Mrs Dawson's behaviour, such as commissioning a portrait of her two children shortly before her alleged murder.

In mid-January, Dawson allegedly told the artist his wife had gone away and no longer wanted the paintings. Six weeks after her disappearance, Dawson reported her missing, Mr Everson said.

Also on Monday, the Crown and Dawson unsuccessfully applied to have the entirety of the murder trial and the resultant judgment suppressed temporarily, citing the "media storm" that would emerge.

"Once the evidence gets into the public domain, there is probability, a strong probability, it will be sensationalised in circumstances where this man will be portrayed as an evil murderer, a cunning predator, immoral, etc," Dawson's lawyer Greg Walsh said.

Dawson's previous attempts to permanently put the proceedings on ice failed, with the High Court rejecting this bid in April this year.

The trial is being heard in NSW Supreme Court by Justice Harrison without a jury, after Dawson successfully argued he would be prejudiced if the case was heard by a jury.

Chris Dawson has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife.

The trial continues on Wednesday.

© AAP 2022

A Queensland toddler who survived being left on a bus outside a childcare centre for six hours is on her way home.

Nevaeh Austin was left in the van as the temperature hit 28C outside Le Smileys Early Learning Centre at Gracemere, near Rockhampton on Wednesday.

The three-year-old was flown to Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane in a critical condition where her condition stabilised before she was released on Monday, a hospital spokesman confirmed.

The little girl and her family are on their way home and she is expected to make a full recovery.

Nevaeh was the only passenger when the mini-van was parked at the centre's front door, but the two staff left the toddler in the vehicle.

As temperatures climbed to almost 30C, Nevaeh remained strapped before and was unconscious when finally discovered as staff prepared for the after-school pick-up.

Police and the Department of Education continue to investigate the incident but no charges have been laid.

© AAP 2022

British actor Dennis Waterman - who starred in TV shows Minder, The Sweeney and New Tricks - has died at the age of 74.

Waterman starred as bodyguard Terry McCann in Minder and he first found fame as tough cop George Carter in The Sweeney opposite John Thaw.

A statement from his family said: "We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved Dennis passed away very peacefully in hospital in Spain, on Sunday afternoon, with Pam by his side."

Waterman played Gerry Standing in the BBC's New Tricks, and other TV roles included Where The Heart Is, The Canterbury Tales and Moses Jones.

He became well-known for singing the theme song for many of his shows, and was caricatured by David Walliams in the comedy series Little Britain as a result.

His last film role was in Never Too Late in 2020, which was filmed in Australia.

Born in London, he was educated at the Corona Theatre School, and began his showbiz career at a young age.

Following a role for the Children's Film Foundation he was invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company.

A role in the BBC's adaptation of the Just William books followed, and the actor would, in his later years, reflect on some of the different roles he undertook.

In 2009, he starred in the BBC's hard-hitting drama Moses Jones, a role which he said at the time he enjoyed because it cast him in a different light.

"I really enjoyed it, because it was a very different kind of character - and that's important.

"On television in Britain, I'm sort of the cheeky chappie, everybody's mate, but I've never played anything like that in the theatre.

"It's strange that you get cast as different things in different parts of the media," he told The Press Association at the time.

His role in drama New Tricks, which began in 2004, marked his return to a long-running show for the first time in a decade and saw him star alongside acting stalwarts James Bolam and Alun Armstrong.

His character Gerry was part of the cold case squad, who were often at odds with their detective boss, played by Amanda Redman.

The hugely popular Minder was revived by Channel 5 in 2009, but Waterman did not return for the new outing.

He had been married several times, including to the actor Rula Lenska until 1998, and his daughter, Hannah, also became a TV star - landing a role in popular soap EastEnders.

Waterman's extensive career also included numerous stints on the stage and he played Alfred Doolittle in a Royal National Theatre production of My Fair Lady, as well as starring in a tour production of Don't Dress For Dinner.

"We are incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Dennis Waterman, an unforgettable actor who will be missed by us all," the BBC said in a statement.

Waterman also starred in productions of Twelfth Night, Edward Bond's Saved at the Royal Court Theatre and Sergeant Musgrave's Dance.

His talents did not end with acting and he had a keen interest in music, having recorded albums and singles, including songs which charted in Australia, New Zealand and Britain.

He was also part of the popular music tour, Friends On Tour, which saw him take to the road alongside Sheena Easton and Gerard Kenny.

© PAA 2022