Extraordinary testimony from Greg Lynn as he took to the witness box in the Supreme Court

Accused killer Greg Lynn says his actions were “despicable” as he issued an apology for disposing of and burning Russell Hill and Carol Clay’s bodies.

Carol Clay and Russell Hill vanished during a camping trip to the Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020.

Four years on from the deaths of Russell Hill and Carol Clay, the couple’s loved ones sat ­metres away from the man ­accused of murdering them.

On Thursday, Greg Lynn apologised to the families and used one word to describe his actions: “Despicable.”

Mr Lynn admitted bundling the pair’s bodies in the back of his trailer, dumping them in remote bushland before later returning and setting fire to their decomposing remains.

But he proclaimed: “I am innocent of murder.”

The extraordinary testimony came as the former Jetstar pilot, 57, took to the witness box in the Supreme Court where he is standing trial for the murders of retirees Mr Hill, 74, and Mrs Clay, 73, who vanished during a camping trip to the Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020.

Greg Lynn proclaimed: ‘I am innocent of murder’. Picture: Court sketch by Paul Tyquin

Now in the fourth week of his trial, Mr Hill’s and Mrs Clay’s daughters sat in the body of the court as Mr Lynn broke his silence.

His testimony was the first time the jury has heard Mr Lynn speak in person, and had his account directly challenged by the prosecution.

Lynn apologises for families’ suffering

Under questioning from defence barrister Dermot Dann KC, Mr Lynn apologised for disposing of and burning the pair’s bodies.

“Mr Lynn, do you understand not coming forward and doing what you did with the bodies … causing immeasurable pain to their family and loved ones, that people would regard your actions as despicable?” his defence barrister Mr Dann asked.

“It was despicable,” Mr Lynn replied.

Carol Clay and Russell Hill’s bodies were burned by Greg Lynn.

“All I can say to the families is that I am very sorry for your suffering that I caused.”

Mr Lynn said he deserved to be punished and he had ­offered to plead guilty to ­destroying evidence.

But asked if he killed the pair, Mr Lynn said: “I am innocent of murder.”

He also denied a charge of manslaughter, telling the court “I haven’t killed anyone”.

The upstairs public gallery was at capacity – among them Mr Lynn’s wife and son – as he gave evidence, with some forced to stand, and a security guard at the door to turn latecomers away.

‘I had never been faced with two dead people before’

Mr Lynn – who has pleaded not guilty to two charges of murder – told the court Mr Hill and Mrs Clay were accidentally killed in separate struggles involving a shotgun and knife.

He claimed Mr Hill took Mr Lynn’s shotgun from his vehicle after an earlier dispute about the elderly camper’s drone before he tried to wrestle the firearm back.

He said he did not know if Mr Hill intended to shoot him but he thought it was unlikely.

“I think he was just trying to keep the shotgun for himself and scare me off,” he said.

Mr Lynn claimed there had been a dispute about Russell Hill’s drone.

He said the weapon accidentally discharged as the men fought near Mr Hill’s LandCruiser, with the shot passing through the side mirror and striking Mrs Clay in the head.

Mr Lynn claimed Mr Hill then came at him with a knife before he too was killed accidentally when he fell onto the blade during a struggle.

He admitted destroying the campsite and disposing of their bodies because he said he feared he would be wrongly blamed for their deaths.

During cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu suggested to Mr Lynn he went into “crisis mode” immediately after their deaths.

“Isn’t that something you’re trained to deal with as a pilot?” he asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Aren’t you trained to be calm and rational?” Mr Porceddu asked.

“I’m very stressed right now,” Mr Lynn said.

“I had never been faced with two dead people before.”

Mr Lynn said Mrs Clay was shot in the head when the shotgun accidentally discharged during a fight with Mr Hill.

Mr Lynn earlier told the jury he thought he would lose his career for improperly storing a firearm.

Mr Porceddu said even though Mr Lynn was panicked, he burnt the site, searched for the pair’s phones and drone, packed up his camp, removed the knife from Mr Hill’s chest and loaded their bodies into his trailer.

“These are signs of a calm person, yes or no?” the prosecutor asked.

“No, I was a panicked person, I’ve been trained to ­remain calm.”

He did agree that leaving the scene as it was would have corroborated his story.

The prosecutor asked why Mr Lynn would clean the gun that shot Mrs Clay as that would have been the “key” to his defence.

“I never expected to be in this courthouse,” he replied.

Mr Lynn described using a torch to find “bits and pieces” and breaking off the LandCruiser’s side mirror.

He said he used Jetstar gloves to clean the scene which he described as “horrendous”.

Mr Lynn said he threw their phones into a river on his way home and he took back roads to avoid cameras along the Hume Freeway.

But he said he was unaware Mr Hill’s handset was on, which allowed police to track him.

Earlier asked why he took about $30 or $40 from Mr Hill’s wallet, Mr Lynn said his plan was “ill-conceived” but he wanted to disappear and knew he would need to refuel.

“I didn’t want to be using a credit card that would pinpoint me to a certain place,” he said.

He said his initial thought was to make it look like a robbery, but he ended up leaving the pair’s wallets in Mr Hill’s LandCruiser.

Mr Lynn admitted destroying the campsite and disposing of the campers’ bodies.

Mr Lynn said he dumped the pair’s bodies at a remote site known as Union Spur Track but he expected them to be found.

He returned in May 2020 to check on them. “They were decomposing … I didn’t look very closely but they hadn’t moved, no animals had been at them, the sticks were still on top,” he said.

In November 2020, he said he returned again where he waited until just before sunset where he set fire to their remains and added more fuel throughout the night.

“Almost everything was gone, it was just mostly ash left,” he said.

Calling it a “difficult task” which made him sick, Mr Lynn said once it was over he thought “I would finally be free of this disaster”.

‘It was my car’: Lynn lied to family

Mr Lynn admitted he removed an awning from his Nissan ­Patrol after images of the 4WD were featured in a 60 Minutes episode about the case, aired in November 2021.

“The car in the images did look a lot like my car — it was my car,” he said, adding that removing the awning made it appear less so.

“My family still didn’t believe it was my car … they thought it was quite comical that it did look quite similar.”

Under cross-examination by Mr Porceddu, Mr Lynn said he did not want to watch the program and instead kept updated about the case through newspaper coverage.

He said he was forced to lie to his wife when she commented the vehicle looked like his.

“Why not be honest with her about what happened?” Mr Porceddu asked.

“The last thing I wanted to do was tell other people about it,” he said. Mr Lynn said telling his wife would have involved her in a problem that had “nothing to do with her”.

“When required, you’re prepared to be deceptive?” Mr Porceddu asked.

“I lied to my wife to protect her,” Mr Lynn replied, adding it was not about protecting himself.

The trial is expected to ­resume on Tuesday.