Christe Chen: Alleged HONEYMOON KILLER Bradley Dawson claims his rights were breached during interrogation
LAUTOKA, FIJI: Bradley Dawson, who was accused of murdering his 36-year-old pharmacist wife Christe Chen, now claims his constitutional rights may have been breached during the interrogation process. Dawson had pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife on their honeymoon in their luxury bungalow on a private Fiji island, and later pleaded not guilty. He has now appealed to the High Court in Lautoka for what is known as a voir dire hearing - a trial within a trial.
Dawson appeared at the High Court in Lautoka on Monday, September 16, where his lawyer told Judge Riyaz Hamza that his client’s constitutional rights may have been breached. The hearing has now been scheduled for October 19. The lawyer, Iqbal Khan, also questioned the admissibility of a cautioned interview done by police after his arrest in July. He will now plead a fresh bid for bail after Judge Hamza denied his initial bail application on September 14, saying it was unsuitable for him to stay with an American man who is facing rape charges in Fiji.
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Chen's parents were ‘euphoric’ after Dawson was refused bail, their lawyer Ronald Gordon told the Daily Mail. He said the family understood the resource constraints faced by investigators in Fiji, adding they await to see justice carried out. The family also said that they will take civil action against Dawson if he is not held criminally liable for the killing. They could also take legal action against Turtle Island Resort and will oppose any bail application.
Chen was found dead on July 9, 2022, in the bathroom of the secluded Turtle Island Resort. Dawson had reportedly confessed to police to killing Chen, only to later claim she was alive when he left her after a drunken fight. Chen was reportedly beaten to death by Dawson during their honeymoon. Her body was found so brutally injured that it could not be embalmed. She had to be cremated before her parents could take her home to the US.
The medical examiner ruled Chen's death a murder. It was found that she died from a traumatic brain injury caused by a brain bleed, severe traumatic head injuries, and multiple traumatic injuries to her body. Her cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. After killing his wife, Dawson left his GPS watch and phone at the hotel and took his passport in an attempt to flee the scene. Chen's butler found her in a gruesome state on the bathroom floor. It was reported that the lid of the toilet cistern was cracked and broken.
Bradley Dawson's new hearing is scheduled for October 19. If convicted, he will face life in prison.