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Former Jetstar captain Greg Lynn has claimed aged camper Russell Hill knifed himself in a battle after he by accident shot his secret lover Carol Clay, a jury has heard.
On Tuesday, Lynn, 57, of Caroline Springs in Melbourne’s west, appeared within the Supreme Courtroom of Victoria the place a jury of 15 has heard the prosecution’s opening and his defence for the primary time.
Police allege Mr Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, have been murdered whereas tenting within the distant Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria’s Alpine area, greater than 4 years in the past.
Greg Lynn exterior the Supreme Courtroom of Victoria at first of his homicide trial in Melbourne
The burnt out campsite of Russell Hill and Carol Clay
The jury was proven a picture of what police allege is Lynn carrying away the our bodies of Russell Hill and Carol Clay
In opening the trial, Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu instructed the jury precisely how and why Lynn allegedly killed the couple stays unknown.
‘The exact circumstances of the killing are unknown, neither is the motivation,’ he mentioned.
The jury heard it was almost certainly a dispute over the use Mr Hill’s drone.
‘It’s doubtless there was a dispute concerning Mr Hill’s drone or imaginative and prescient captured on his drone,’ Mr Porceddu mentioned.
‘There may need been an argument or confrontation between the lads. It’s not recognized how Mr Hill was killed.’
However in offering a quick defence, Lynn’s barrister Dermot Dann, KC claimed Mr Hill and Ms Clay’s dying was the results of a tragic accident.
‘We are saying not a case of homicide, it is a case of two unintended, tragic deaths,’ he mentioned.
‘Tragic unintended deaths in circumstances that weren’t of Mr Lynn’s making and never of his selecting.’
Mr Dann instructed the jury Mr Hill stole Lynn’s shotgun after he turned enraged about Lynn’s taking part in of loud music on the night time he was killed.
‘He went in the direction of Mr Hill to try to get the gun again – to take management of the gun. Mr Hill fired the gun into the air and Mr Lynn initially took cowl in the direction of the rear of his automotive,’ Mr Dann mentioned.
Lynn would later inform police he was ‘scared shitless’ by Mr Hill’s actions.
‘He determined the one method to make issues secure was to get his gun again,’ Mr Dann mentioned.
The jury heard Mr Hill was shot within the head by Mr Hill as Lynn tried to disarm him.
Police allege Carol Clay was shot within the head and killed in March 2020
Police allege Russell Hill was tenting with Ms Clay once they have been killed
Upon seeing what he’d accomplished, Lynn claimed Mr Hill dropped the gun and rushed over to his useless lover’s physique.
Mr Dann mentioned Lynn picked-up the gun and fired off it is remaining ammunition earlier than being set upon by an enraged Mr Hill.
‘The subsequent factor is Mr Hill’s advancing in the direction of him with a knife screaming at him “she’s useless”,’ he mentioned.
‘A battle developed over the knife. Mr Lynn attempting to defend himself – they’re locked on this battle – and as a part of that battle the 2 males fall to the bottom and the knife goes by the chest of Mr Hill.’
Police consider Mr Hill was killed first as he would have doubtless referred to as for help or resisted had Ms Clay been killed first.
‘The prosecution alleges Mr Hill was almost certainly killed first partly it is because Mrs Clay could be very unlikely to have provoked a violent confrontation involving the firearm or have posed any menace to the accused apart from having witnessed or been conscious of Mr Hill’s violent dying,’ Mr Porceddu mentioned.
‘If he had been alive Mr Hill might even have readily referred to as for help if he was conscious that Mrs Clay had been shot.’
The jury heard Ms Clay was allegedly shot within the head by Lynn with a 12-gauge ‘Barathrum’ branded shotgun.
Lynn is then accused of attempting to cowl his tracks.
‘It’s alleged the accused made appreciable efforts to infect the scene, conceal proof and attempt to distance himself from what appeared,’ Mr Porceddu mentioned.
Greg Lynn is accused of adjusting the color of his automobile from gray to beige
Greg Lynn as he seems in court docket throughout his homicide trial
The court docket heard Lynn allegedly moved the couple’s our bodies by inserting them in his trailer after setting hearth to their tent and an space close to Mr Hill’s automobile within the hope of hiding forensic proof.
Pictures of Mr Hill’s burnt out campsite and broken automobile have been proven to the jury.
A automobile towing a trailer which police declare was Lynn carrying away the couple’s our bodies was additionally proven.
Mr Porceddu mentioned Lynn took their wallets and money, telephones, Mr Hill’s drone and automotive keys earlier than packing up and driving away with the our bodies.
Within the early hours of March 21, a witness was woken by a automobile towing a trailer that drove previous his web site.
Police allege it was Lynn making an attempt to flee within the early hours however was hampered by a closed street, forcing him to carry out a difficult u-turn.
Pictures of the bush scrub Lynn is alleged to have dumped the couple’s our bodies have been proven to the jury.
The jury heard Lynn later modified the color of the 4WD he used to cart the our bodies away from gray to beige.
He additionally allegedly eliminated an awning on the automobile after a picture of his automobile appeared on a 60 Minutes program highlighting the thriller of the lacking campers.
On the time, police had been listening to Lynn on secret bugs hidden inside his residence as he watched the present affairs program.
The jury heard Lynn remarked he had solely been within the space for 4 hours that day and he discovered the incident ‘not humorous’.
Greg Lynn was a Jetstar captain when he allegedly dedicated the murders
On April 1, 2020, Lynn marketed his trailer and different objects on Gumtree.
Prosecutors alleged he sought to eliminate the trailer as a result of it held forensic proof linked to Mr Hill and Ms Clay.
On Could 12, after Victoria’s Covid restrictions have been lifted, police allege Lynn returned to the place he dumped the couple’s our bodies to make sure they have been nonetheless hidden.
In November that yr he allegedly returned to the scene once more and burnt the our bodies, dumping what remained in a gap.
Fragments of the couple’s bones have been later discovered by police within the space.
The court docket heard Mr Hill and Ms Clay had been childhood sweethearts who had been carrying on a secret relationship since 2006.
Mr Porceddu mentioned Ms Clay had expressed pleasure about happening the tenting journey with Mr Hill within the days earlier than she was killed.
Mr Hill instructed his spouse he could be gone for a few week earlier than heading out to select up Ms Clay from her Pakenham residence.
The couple travelled collectively to an space within the valley often called Bucks Camp.
Witnesses claimed they parked in a neighborhood near the place Lynn had arrange his camp a day earlier.
The jury heard Mr Hill – a eager newbie radio operator – had spoken to mates on the radio on the night of March 20.
Witnesses claimed Mr Hill appeared nice and indicated no indicators of battle or misery.
A good friend gave Mr Hill instructions on how he might go away the valley.
He was by no means heard from once more.
Police allege Lynn murdered Mr Hill and Mrs Clay that night time.
Lynn has pleaded not responsible to 2 counts of homicide.
The trial opening continues.
