Bid to free former Jetstar pilot accused over the murder of secret lover campers

By William On May 11, 2023

Ex-Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn may never stand trial for the alleged murders of secret lover campers Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, a court has heard.

Lynn appeared via video link in Victoria’s High Court on Thursday, where his lawyer Dermot Dann, KC, revealed he wanted 15 pieces of evidence that had been dumped amid claims Victorian detectives obtained them unlawfully.

“Depending on the outcome of these requests to exclude evidence, aside from the possibility of an appeal, time would be needed for the defense – if there is still a trial – to assess their position, because it involves quite significant choices and will lead to decisions. said Mr Dann.

Greg Lynn, 56, faces trial in Victoria High Court next year for two murders, if at all

Carol Clay (left) was allegedly shot dead by Lynn before Russell Hill (right) was stabbed to death

Police allege that Carol Clay was shot while in the back of this vehicle, which was damaged by fire following the alleged crime

The jury trial is not expected to formally begin until sometime in February next year, with the October trial date now being used to work out what evidence police can still rely on.

Much of the conversation is expected to revolve around Lynn’s four-day police record of interrogation, which Lynn hopes to erase from the public record.

The content of that interview is now subject to a court-ordered gag order.

At an earlier hearing, it was said that homicide detectives in Victoria had gathered 773 pages of evidence against Lynn.

Many of those pages contain the content of Lynn’s nine-plus hour interview, which was recorded at Sale police station immediately after his arrest in November 2021.

Mr Dann has long advocated that his client’s interview should be declared inadmissible in a murder case.

“There are 15 pieces of evidence that we are going to file an exclusion request, including the record of the interview and basically everything that follows,” he told the court on Thursday.

Dann said the outcome could lead to a preliminary injunction, which could eventually render Lynn’s trial unnecessary.

While the contents of what exactly was discussed with Lynn by police cannot be revealed, Mr Dann described it as ‘explosive’ at a preliminary hearing last year.

“It’s just that these pieces of evidence are potentially groundbreaking in terms of how the trial will be conducted by the prosecution,” he told the court at the time.

Greg Lynn, photographed in court last year, was questioned by police for four days

Police filmed thousands of Greg Lynn (right) in the 11 months before his arrest in Victoria’s Highlands. Nearly 300 relevant recordings were made after the broadcast of a 60 Minutes special about the missing campers

Lynn’s attorney Dermot Dann, KC (pictured left leaving court last year) plans to challenge the admissibility of his client’s interview record with police

Respected Detective Acting Sergeant Brett Florence and his outsider Detective Leading Senior Agent Daniel Passingham are expected to be confronted again by Mr. Dann about how they handled Lynn following his arrest.

Police allege Lynn shot Ms Clay in the head with a shotgun after she got into an angry confrontation with Mr Hill over using his drone in the national park, which is illegal.

Their remains would not be found until November 2021 – some 20 months after they were reportedly killed.

Lynn was arrested at the junction of Doolans Plains Road and Moroka Road, Arbuckle – some seven hours after he was overheard by police on classified listening devices talking to himself in a ‘depressed state’.

The court heard Lynn was also in the process of fighting authorities to have his defense funded by Victorian legal aid.

While Mr Dann is currently being paid privately for his services, that funding is expected to dry up as the legal process continues.

Crown Prosecutor John Dickie told the court he would like to bring Lynn to trial in October.

Lynn, who has been in prison since November 2021, has again failed to apply for bail.

He will return to court in June, where funding for his ongoing legal defense will be discussed again.

WHY THE POLICE BELIEVE CAMPER WAS KILLED

Russell Hill knew the rugged Wonnangatta Valley as well as anyone brave enough to venture that far into the wilderness.

It’s courage that the police suspect took the lives of him and his secret lover Carol Clay.

Those who knew him claimed that he would never back down from a fight.

Weed sprayer Robert Williams told the court that Mr Hill was a “grumpy old bastard” who called him with a drone.

Campers Damir Javor and Goran Miljkovic had spotted the pair as they parked their vehicle at a campground believed to be shared by Lynn.

The pair were trapped behind the elderly couple as they slowly drove down the path to their campground, where two vehicles were already parked.

One of those cars was a white Landcruiser, the other was described as a blue Nissan Patrol – the same type of vehicle seized by police when they arrested Lynn on November 22 last year.