Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn was grilled by detectives over four gruelling days in an ‘explosive’ record of interview that may never see the light of day.
Lynn, 56, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court this week charged with the murders of secret lover campers Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73.
On Friday, Lynn’s barrister Dermot Dann, KC fronted the court in an effort to have the contents of that record of interview and a subsequent statement his client made suppressed from the public.
Russell Hill (pictured, right) and Carol Clay (left) are alleged by police to have been murdered during a camping trip in March 2020
Greg Lynn, pictured in court this week, was grilled by police for four long days
Russell Hill (pictured with his missing drone) is believed to have filmed campers in and about the area where he was allegedly murdered
Mr Dann argued the interview Lynn gave to police could yet be deemed inadmissible and not be brought before his expected Supreme Court of Victoria jury trial later this year.
‘It’s just that these items of evidence are potentially game changing in terms of the way the trial will be conducted by the prosecution,’ he told the court.
‘They would have such an impact potentially on how that trial is to be run … there are very real, very live and very substantial issues in respect to those two items of evidence.’
In court documents released on Tuesday, prosecutors revealed that homicide detectives had been investigating Lynn for about a year before finally arresting him in November 2021.
When they did, Magistrate Brett Sonnet revealed Lynn was interviewed over four days between November 22 to 25 before being charged with two counts of murder.
Lynn continues to deny murdering the couple while they were camping in the Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020.
According to a prosecution summary, investigators allege Lynn got into an argument with the campers before killing them both.
‘The circumstances of their deaths, and the accused’s behaviour afterwards are consistent with the accused having intended to cause death or at least cause each of them really serious injury,’ the prosecution summary read.
Greg Lynn’s barrister Dermot Dann, KC claims his client’s record of interview to police would be seen as ‘explosive’ by the public
Elderly camper Ms Clay was allegedly shot through the head and killed when Mr Hill attempted to grab a gun away from Lynn, the court heard.
Lynn is then alleged to have stabbed Mr Hill to death before burning their bodies and dumping them at another location.
Mr Dann told the court his client had been recorded by police before agreeing to make a statement, which Mr Dann also hopes to have scrapped from the record.
‘The way the interview proceeds, which is a remarkable interview in our submission because of its length, because of the approach of the right to silence, the approach to this man’s legal advice and other matters,’ he said.
Mr Dann said Lynn’s interview would have a significant impact on the trial should it be allowed and it’s release to the public would likely result in ‘sensational’ reporting.
‘When I use the word “sensational” what I had in mind is the content of these items of evidence are explosive, or may be seen as explosive by viewers or readers,’ he told the court.
Gregory Lynn, 55, (pictured) was charged with the murder of secret lovers Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73
Magistrate Sonnet will provide his ruling on issuing a gag order on the contents of Lynn’s interview and statement on Monday when the matter returns to court.
On Tuesday, the court heard Lynn had allegedly been caught by listening devices talking to himself about the deaths of the elderly campers.
‘Investigators identified the accused to have conversations with himself whilst at various locations, at his home address and while camping on his own,’ court documents state.
‘It is alleged the accused at times referred to the deaths of Hill and Clay.’
The badly burnt remains of the elderly couple were found by Victoria Police Missing Persons Squad detectives on November 30, 2021 – after Lynn’s epic four day interview.
The court heard Lynn is accused of working to cover up his alleged crimes, placing camping items, including a BBQ gas bottle belonging to the couple inside their tent before setting it alight.
‘This is alleged to have been done to conceal his crimes. He packed up his own camp and fled with the bodies of Hill and Clay,’ court documents alleged.
Police claim Lynn dumped the couple’s bodies in the bush but returned again in May and November ‘to implement measures to try to destroy the remains … including setting fire to the remains of their bodies’.
At the time of his arrest, Lynn was employed as a senior check captain pilot with Jetstar and had been employed in the airline industry for more than 30 years, documents said.
DailyMail
