As Chris Dawson travelled to Sydney on Thursday, one man never left his side.

Not on the Qantas flight into Sydney Airport, nor in the back seat of a blue unmarked police car headed for the Sydney police station where the former teacher and first grade footballer would be charged with the murder of his wife.

Chris Dawson is driven to Surry Hills police station on Thursday morning, accompanied by Detective Senior Constable Daniel Poole. Credit:James Brickwood

Detective Senior Constable Daniel Poole was Mr Dawson's constant chaperone on his journey to Sydney on Thursday, and the one credited for providing the fresh set of eyes needed to investigate the alleged murder of Lynette Dawson, 36 years after her disappearance.

The homicide investigator was one of three NSW detectives who travelled to the Gold Coast for the arrest of Mr Dawson, 70, on Tuesday, arresting him on Wednesday at the door of a granny flat on a property in the sunshine state’s Biggera Waters and accompanying him on his extradition to NSW.