Former NRL player and teacher Chris Dawson has swapped his Gold Coast home for a Sydney jail cell after being convicted of the murder of his wife Lyn more than 40 years ago.

Dawson, 74, murdered his wife, Lynette, and disposed of her body on January 8, 1982, because of an obsession he had with his then teenage lover, known as JC, and his fear of losing her, Justice Ian Harrison found on Tuesday.

Dawson was cuffed and held at Surry Hills police station soon after Justice Harrison found him guilty of murder.

Chris Dawson was married to Lynette when he started sleeping with a high school student. Photo: Twitter

After a plan for Dawson and JC to start a new life in Queensland crashed and burned in late 1981, JC started to have mixed feelings about whether she wanted to continue a relationship with her former PE teacher.

After she holidayed with friends on NSW’s mid north-coast in January 1982, Dawson became overwhelmed at the thought he would lose her and murdered his wife for standing in the way of his desires.

Chris Dawson (wearing a mask) on his way into court on Tuesday morning. Photo: AAP

The former Newtown Jets rugby league player maintained he was innocent but Justice Harrison found Dawson had lied to police and family members to deflect attention away from himself and his crime.

These lies included that he had taken phone calls from Mrs Dawson after her disappearance.

He also claimed he was no longer romantically involved with JC and wanted his wife to return, despite moving his former student into his home days after the murder.

The case against Dawson succeeded despite Mrs Dawson’s body never being found and the absence of a murder weapon.

Dawson is expected to apply for bail on Thursday.

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-AAP