Greg Lynn’s life inside prison as he awaits trial over camper murders

The man accused of killing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay is in a unit reserved for unruly inmates, sharing the same space as Bourke St killer James Gargasoulas.

Accused campsite killer Greg Lynn has had a rough start in prison.

Prison insiders have spilled on the Jetstar pilot’s first week in custody, describing it as a “baptism of fire” surrounded by unruly inmates in one of Melbourne’s highest security prisons.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal Lynn, 55, is in protective custody in unit 8 at Melbourne Assessment Prison – the same unit where Cardinal George Pell and Bourke St killer James Gargasoulas were previously caged.

Airline pilot Greg Lynn has been charged with murder over the deaths of Russell Hill and Carol Clay. Picture: Supplied

The unit is reserved for Victoria’s most high profile alleged criminals and allows prison authorities to keep a close eye on inmates who would be at risk in the wider prison population.

An insider said the unit is full of unsavoury characters who scream from their cells at all hours.

“The unit is extremely loud and noisy due to the profile of prisoner in there so he is getting a baptism of fire,” the prison source said.

The source said many inmates were “noisy…disruptive unmanageable a**holes”.

Lynn has tried to keep a low profile since being admitted to Melbourne Assessment Prison from Sale last Friday.

In the past week he has shaped up as one of Australia’s most high profile alleged murderers.

Prisoners with such a profile can often attract negative attention behind bars so his safety will be a significant priority in the months ahead.

Greg Lynn was brought from Sale Court House to Melbourne. Picture: Jason Edwards.

Like any other inmate, Lynn is being made to complete 14 days quarantine.

But given his high profile, once he is released from quarantine he will spend 23 hours a day locked in his cell, with only a single hour allocated for exercise and fresh air.

These conditions would be a huge adjustment for the avid outdoorsman who formerly spent his free time roaming Victoria’s wilderness for days at a time.

Lynn’s final moments of freedom were spent at a remote campsite in Arbuckle Junction, not far from where he allegedly murdered Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, in the Wonnanngatta Valley on March 20 last year.

Carol Clay.

Russell Hill.

The Caroline Springs father was taken in custody from the campsite on Monday 22 November in a dramatic Special Operations Group arrest brought forward due to concerns over his mental state.

He spent over 72 hours in police custody where he underwent extensive questioning.

This period of questioning coincided with Missing Persons Squad detectives uncovering a very precise location where human remains, including bone fragments, were located in bushland north of Dargo on Tuesday.

The remains are yet to be formally identified but detectives hope they are the final missing piece in the 20-month murder inquiry.

Lynn will remain in custody until his next court hearing on May 31 next year.