Former Newtown Jets rugby league star Chris Dawson — the subject of popular podcast The Teacher’s Pet — has been refused bail and will be extradited to NSW where he is expected to be charged with the murder of his wife, Lyn.

He appeared in the dock of Southport Magistrates Court for his extradition hearing, wearing a crumpled T-shirt and shorts.

According to the Courier Mail, he showed no emotion, had his head in his hands and covered his ears as the magistrate read out police evidence, including allegations of domestic violence against his wife.

NSW Police confirmed a 70-year-old man was arrested shortly before 8am (AEST) in relation to the murder of Lyn Dawson.

The case has grabbed worldwide media attention since the launch of the The Australian’ s investigative podcast series The Teacher’s Pet, for which reporter Hedley Thomas and producer Slade Gibson won the Gold Walkley, Australian journalism’s highest honour.

Detectives hoped Mr Dawson would first appear in Parramatta Local Court, in Sydney’s west, tomorrow morning but the intense public interest surrounding the case has delayed his extradition.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: The Australian’s Teacher’s Pet podcast

Mr Dawson will not be extradited until tomorrow and instead spend the night at Southport Watchhouse on the Gold Coast after a number of airlines admitted they were reluctant to carry the 70-year-old due to his high profile and the potential of it becoming a security risk.

Police are reportedly looking into chartering their own flight to get Mr Dawson back to NSW.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told reporters Mr Dawson went “quietly” with police as he was arrested this morning. Detective Superintendent Scott Cook added he was “calm and little bit taken aback”.

Speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB this afternoon, Mr Fuller said they received “wonderful information” earlier this week from the Director of Public Prosecutions that there was enough evidence to arrest Mr Dawson. Earlier, police said they had a “voluminous” brief of evidence against Mr Dawson.

“No doubt it will be a voluminous briefs with an enormous amount of evidence and there are a number of witnesses that will be called,” he said.

Mr Fuller said detectives arrested Mr Dawson “to face, finally, to face court over the homicide of Lynette Dawson”.

Mr Dawson’s family released a statement earlier today, insisting the 70-year-old will be found not guilty.

“We are disappointed at the decision of the DPP as there is clear and uncontested evidence that Lyn Dawson was alive long after she left Chris and their daughters,” the statement, from Chris’ twin brother Peter said.

“We have no doubt whatsoever that Chris will be found not guilty as he is innocent.”

‘WE WERE HOPEFUL THIS TIME AND WE’VE GOT THERE’

Lyn’s family reacted with shock and relief.

“I’m shaking,” her nephew David Jenkins wrote on Twitter this morning. “There is a long road in front of us in bringing Lyn home, but this is a big step.”

Lyn’s brother Gregg Simms said he was “quite emotional” when he heard of Mr Dawson’s arrest this morning.

“We’ve had a cry, we’ve cuddled, we’re just completely over the moon that something has finally happened,” he told The Australian.

Speaking to A Current Affair tonight, Mr Simms said he was “stunned” by today’s development but was staying hopeful.

“If you look back over the years, you might say we’ve been kicked in the guts a few times but we were hopeful this time and we’ve got there,” he said.

Mr Fuller said Lyn’s family was relieved to hear of this morning’s arrest.

“I have said from the start what is important to me was justice for Lynette Dawson and her family,” he said. “Today is an important step forward for that.”

When asked what new evidence had led to the arrest, Mr Fuller said statements from witnesses had “helped pull pieces of the puzzle together”. These new statements came about as a result of media coverage.

Appearing on ABC’s 7.30 tonight, Lynette’s niece Renee Simms said the family did not see the huge public interest as a negative.

The Unsolved Homicide Squad began to re-examine the case in 2015 with The Australian debuting its podcast earlier this year, pushing the family onto the global stage.

Ms Simms said while being in the spotlight had been “confronting”, there was no denying the attention had helped her aunt’s case.

“I think we just have to take the positives out of it,” Ms Sims said.

“It’s not something that any of us are used to at all but it has just been enormously helpful. The fact that the media has gotten on board with this case has meant that Lyn will never be forgotten and that’s just priceless to us.

“We have had so much support from people that we have never met contacting us via Facebook, all those sorts of things, just giving us support, it just hasn’t been negative for us at all really.”

FINDING LYN’S BODY

Mr Cook told reporters detectives were “confident” about their case against Mr Dawson despite not knowing where Lyn’s body was.

“There are other examples in policing history and history of the courts where people have been convicted of murder without a body,” he said.

“That may or may not be accepted in this particular case. It is a matter for the court in due course. We have solved homicide before without identifying the body.

“Ideally in this case we will not give up on trying to identify the whereabouts of Lynette Dawson, but from our perspective, it is not crucial to finalising the matter.

“We haven’t given up hope in terms of finding Lynette Dawson’s body.”

Mr Fuller added that no new evidence arose from the latest dig at the former Dawson family home on Sydney’s northern beaches in September.

Lyn’s niece Renee said finding her aunt’s body would be a “bonus”.

“I think that would just be a bonus to be honest. The fact that someone has been charged based on this is sort of what we were after. If we can find a body that is just a bonus for us,” she said.

Lyn vanished 37 years ago from Sydney’s northern beaches.

Mr Dawson has always denied being involved, telling police she ran off to join a “religious cult”. However, two coroners found Lyn was probably murdered by Mr Dawson in 1982.

A fresh dig for evidence at the former family home in the northern beaches suburb of Bayview took place in September.

Mr Dawson, has long been a suspect in the disappearance of his ex-wife, who was last seen alive more than 35 years ago.

Detectives from the Homicide Squad’s Unsolved Homicide Unit established Strike Force Scriven in 2015 to reinvestigate the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and suspected murder.

“Earlier this week, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions provided advice to police, and following further inquiries, detectives applied for an arrest warrant before travelling to Queensland,” NSW Police said in a statement this morning.

“Just before 8am today, a 70-year-old Coolum man was arrested by detectives from the Queensland Police Service’s Homicide Squad in the presence of Strive Force Scriven investigators at Biggera Waters, on the Gold Coast, in Queensland.”

WHAT HAPPENED TO LYNETTE DAWSON?

Lyn and Chris Dawson were childhood sweethearts.

On the surface, they had it all — a wholesome relationship, respectable jobs and a home in an idyllic suburb on Sydney’s northern beaches.

Lyn worked as a nurse, and was seen as a kind and gentle soul. Mr Dawson was a popular high school physical education teacher and talented sportsman, as the popular The Teacher’s Pet podcast revealed.

Mr Dawson began a relationship in 1980 with his 16-year-old Cromer High School student Joanne Curtis. Their relationship became sexual, and he took the teenager into his home as a “babysitter” for his two daughters.

He tried convincing his wife to let the girl move into their home for the remainder of her schooling, saying she came from a broken home and had a violent stepfather. The couple ended up in marriage counselling.

Lyn was due to meet her mother at Northbridge Baths, where Chris worked, on January 9, 1982. But Lyn never arrived. Mr Dawson later claimed he dropped her off at a bus stop in Mona Vale and that she called him later in the day saying she needed time to herself. Lyn was never seen again.

No more than two days after her disappearance, Joanne had moved into Mr Dawson’s home — and marital bed. She would even wear Lyn’s jewellery and her clothes.

Mr Dawson didn’t report his wife as missing until six weeks later, and told everyone she had run off to join a religious cult.

A body was never found — but they did discover Lyn’s pink cardigan during a police dig. The garment had multiple cut marks consistent with stabbing.

Two coroners later found that Lyn was murdered by Mr Dawson, but no charges were ever laid. Former Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery, QC, said there was not enough evidence to prosecute.