EXCLUSIVE
New details about the dark life of former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn have been revealed as his sentencing hearing, which could see him sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of an elderly camper, has been announced.
Lynn, 57, was found guilty in the Victorian Supreme Court in June of the murder of elderly camper Carol Clay, but not guilty of the murder of her secret lover Russell Hill.
But the pilot’s troubled love life – including a secret love child in Adelaide – was laid bare in court this week as Judge Michael Croucher prepared to sentence the killer.
Lynn’s second wife, flight attendant Melanie Lynn, was noticeably absent from this week’s hearing, despite having attended every day of her husband’s murder trial.
The court heard that, as a result of Lynn’s guilty plea, his wife now faces losing the home where she lived with Lynn’s adult sons from his first marriage.
Their mother, Lisa Lynn, committed suicide in 1999. The court had previously heard that Lynn’s mother-in-law blamed him for her daughter’s tragic death.
On Wednesday, new details about Lynn’s life were revealed in court by his own lawyer Dermot Dann, KC, ahead of the prosecution’s request for Lynn to be sentenced to life imprisonment.
The court heard that Lynn quickly moved on with his life after the suicide of his first wife, who was embroiled in a fierce custody battle with Lynn at the time of her death.
Greg Lynn enters the Victorian Supreme Court in handcuffs on Wednesday, facing life behind bars for the murder of Carol Clay
Greg Lynn’s first wife, Lisa Lynn, was found dead on the front lawn of the property she once shared with the now convicted killer
Mr. Dann suggested that Lynn immediately contact a mystery woman, as he was having a falling out with his ex-wife over the children and family assets.
“The relationship became difficult and Mr Lynn left home and entered into a relationship,” he told the court.
The court heard that Lynn had successfully removed the children from his ex-wife’s family and was given full custody of them, as well as keeping the family home.
With his ex-wife out of the picture, Lynn was able to continue the relationship with his mysterious lover. His name was not mentioned in court.
“He then moved with the woman he was in a new relationship with and the two boys to a house in Mount Macedon and then moved to Adelaide,” Mr Dann said.
The court heard that Lynn’s new lover gave birth to a daughter on February 8, 2001, just over a year after the death of his first wife.
“That relationship eventually broke down, so he moved back to Melbourne with his sons,” Dann said.
Lynn moved with his children to Qatar in the Middle East, where he quickly recovered from his last broken relationship and took up with flight attendant and second wife Melanie.
The court heard that Lynn walked her down the aisle in 2004 and the couple had a son in 2007.
Shortly afterwards they moved back to Australia and settled in Caroline Springs in Melbourne’s west, where she still lives, but probably not for much longer.
The court heard that police are keen to have the property seized as part of the proceeds of crime.
Lynn lived in the home when he murdered Ms. Clay in March 2020 and again when he was arrested more than a year later.
Melanie Lynn gave birth to a son with Greg Lynn in 2007 after he joined Qatar Airways
Greg Lynn’s beloved Nissan Patrol pictured outside the Caroline Springs home where he lived at the time of the murder. His car went from white (pictured) to gray to brown over the years
Geordie, Melanie and Elliott Lynn to leave the Supreme Court of Victoria in May
The court also heard new details about Lynn’s relationship with his first wife Lisa.
In revelations not shared with the jury, Judge Croucher had previously heard that Lisa’s mother blamed Lynn for her daughter’s suicide.
“In addition to Greg being completely unsupportive, he was regularly abusive to her, both physically and mentally,” Lisa’s mother alleged in a statement she gave to the coroner at the time.
‘These kinds of events happened too often to remember… things like him suddenly losing his temper and blaming Lisa for everything that went wrong.
‘He would then yell, throw things at her and push her around.
‘I felt very uncomfortable when these events were happening because I was not inclined to get involved, while Lisa begged me not to get involved.’
Lisa’s mother also told the court that jealous Lynn verbally attacked a man in a bar after he spoke to Lisa.
He then became “furious” with his then-wife as he left the hotel, she told the coroner.
“The only thing I would like to add is that as far as I am concerned Greg is responsible for the death of my daughter because of the mental torture he put her through,” Lisa’s mother told the court.
On Wednesday this week, Mr Dann told the court that Lynn met Lisa when he was just 18 and she was ‘around 21’.
She was a signals operator with the Royal Australian Air Force, stationed at Laverton base in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Melanie Lynn was Greg Lynn’s second wife and the third woman to have a child with him
Lisa Lynn was only 20 when she began what would become a toxic relationship with Greg Lynn
Greg Lynn in front of the Caroline Springs home he shared with Melanie
Lynn moved with Lisa to an off-base facility, where the couple became deeply involved in the Pentecostal church.
After work, they moved to Bankstown in New South Wales, where Lisa worked as a data entry technician for Flight Services Australia.
The couple moved to Tasmania and bought a house together. In the early 1990s, Lynn moved between Launceston and Bankstown in Sydney until the couple moved to Victoria, where Lisa got a job as a flight attendant with Qantas.
They bought a house in Mount Macedon, 64km northwest of Melbourne, and Lisa gave birth to their first son in 1997.
Their second child came the following year, but The relationship soon ended and Lynn was thrown out of her parents’ home.
Daily Mail Australia cannot report the full extent of what happened next because of a gag order issued by a lower court magistrate ahead of the trial.
‘On October 26 (1999) Lisa was found dead on the lawn in front of the Mount Macedon estate and we know from the evidence that she died after consuming a quantity of drugs and alcohol,’ Mr Dann said.
Lynn was convicted of the murder of Carol Clay (left), but acquitted of the murder of her lover Russell Hill
The shotgun Greg Lynn used to shoot Carol Clay in the head
The shattered remains of Carol Clay were found in this hole. Only one fragment from Russell Hill was ever identified
Mr Dann claimed that Lynn came under fire from Lisa’s family after her tragic death.
“There was a prolonged dispute thereafter with members of her family over the proceedings … regarding custody of the two boys,” he said.
“Mr. Lynn was successful in that process, so he became the sole parent, and he was the sole parent raising the boys.”
Lynn will appear in court again next month, where he will finally be convicted of the murder of Mrs. Clay.
However, his imprisonment could be short-lived as his legal team is concerned that the jury erred in the way they applied the law in reaching their verdict on Mrs. Clay’s guilt, but not on Mr. Hill’s guilt.
Mr Dann told Judge Croucher that his client maintained his innocence and intended to appeal his conviction as soon as possible.
The veteran lawyer described the process the jury went through to find him guilty as a “forbidden path” that went against the instructions Judge Croucher had given them at the end of the trial.
Mr Dann said the jury understood Lynn’s only motive for killing Ms Clay was to cover up the murder of Mr Hill, of which they found he was not guilty.
“The Public Prosecution Service argues that the jury took that forbidden path to reach this verdict,” he said.