Greg Lynn trial: Ex-pilot tells jury he ‘panicked’ after deaths of missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay
The pilot at the centre of the deaths of two campers has made major claims about how he thought things would play out, a jury has heard.
The former Jetstar captain accused of killing two elderly campers has told a jury he did not hide their bodies, and “expected them to be found”.
Gregory Stuart Lynn, 57, is facing trial after pleading not guilty to murdering Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, in March 2020.
Prosecutors allege he killed the pair “without lawful justification”, while the accused man has asked the jury to accept his account of two “tragic” accidental deaths.
Mr Lynn took the stand shortly after 10.30am on Thursday, choosing to take a religious oath.
He gave evidence first under questioning from his barrister, before he was cross-examined by crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu.
TRIAL TO RESUME TUESDAY
Mr Lynn finished giving evidence shortly before 3pm and returned to the dock.
His barrister, Dermot Dann KC, said “that was all the evidence we’ll call”.
The jury was sent home by Justice Michael Croucher, who thanked the jury for their attentiveness.
He said there was no need for them to return on Friday, as he would need to consider “questions of law”, asking the 14-person jury to return after the long weekend.
He said it was expected they would hear closing arguments from the prosecution and defence and would be asked to retire and reach verdicts on the two charges “at the earliest on Thursday”.
The trial will resume on Tuesday at 10.15am.
NEW DETAILS ON LYNN’S GUN
Under questioning from Mr Porceddu, Mr Lynn confirmed he was usually “very gun-safety conscious”.
He disputed the proposition he never would have left his gun unsecured, saying: “I failed in that requirement.”
He told the jury the gun was secured in a zipped bag, and the doors were locked, but he unlocked the vehicle when he chose to blare music to annoy Mr Hill.
“I didn’t think he would be bold enough to take the shotgun,” Mr Lynn said.
‘TO PROTECT HER’
Mr Lynn has admitted he lied to his wife “a few times” after TV reports of the missing campers were aired.
“I don’t watch a lot of TV but I saw some reports,” he said.
He was questioned by Mr Porceddu if he was prepared to lie “when required”, responding; “I lied to my wife to protect her”.
He denied he lied only to protect himself, telling the jury if he told the truth she would be involved.
WHY LYNN BURNED CAMPERS
When asked under cross examination about his return to burn the bodies of the campers, Mr Lynn said the decision was sparked after a visit from police.
He said he formed the plan on July 14, 2020, after two detectives attended his home and asked him about the trip.
“Now my route was known I had to destroy the remaining evidence,” he said.
Mr Lynn said he arrived about sunset on November 18, 2021, and burned the bodies using kerosene until the morning.
“It was a difficult task, I thought once that was over and the evidence was destroyed I would finally be free of this disaster,” he said.
LYNN ‘EXPECTED’ CAMPERS TO BE FOUND
Mr Lynn told the jury he didn’t plan to hide the bodies.
Facing questioning on why he chose the Union Spur track, the accused man said he “expected them to be found”.
“I didn’t hide them, I expected them to be found,” he said.
He told the jury he would have dragged them deeper into the bush if he did not want them to be found.
Mr Lynn said he only spent about 15 minutes unloading the bodies and placing leaves and sticks on them about 830am on March 21.
WHY LYNN DIDN’T CALL COPS
Mr Lynn told the jury he feared he would be blamed for the couple’s deaths if he reported it to police and preserved the scene.
”I could have followed that pathway,” he said.
He agreed with a suggestion by Mr Porceddu that if he had not taken steps to hide his involvement, police could have proven his account of two accidental deaths.
“On your version of events there would have been forensic evidence of Mr Hill’s fingerprint on the firearm?” the prosecutor asked.
“Yes,” Mr Lynn responded.
“This would have been key to your defence,” Mr Porceddu said.
Mr Lynn replied; “I never thought I would be in this courthouse”.
“I wanted to erase everything to to with it.”
The ex-pilot was quizzed about a rope strug-up between Mr Hill’s car and a portable toilet, with the prosecutor suggesting he would have been “entangled” if his account was correct.
Mr Lynn denied this, saying “it never got in the way”.
Mr Porceddu accused Mr Lynn of “making this up”, suggesting he had had 20 months to fabricate an account of accidental deaths.
“Clearly things are worse for me now, its a disaster and it would have been a disaster if I had gone to police,” he said.
Mr Lynn told the court in the four years since, it had never occurred to him that leaving after Mr Hill swiped his shotgun was an option.
“He’d stolen a something of mine and I wanted to get it back,” he said.
Mr Porceddu questioned Mr Lynn at length after he said he was in a panicked state, asking why he had the “presence of mind” to take methodological steps to clean the campsite and destroy evidence.
“Yes I had the presence of mind to achieve, to do these things, and it was my training to remain calm,” he responded.
CLAIM CAMPERS ‘PROVOKED’
Prosecutors have accused Mr Lynn of trying to provoke a response from Mr Hill by playing his music loudly at night.
I wasn’t trying to provoke a response, if he was rude I could be rude too,” he responded.
“You were being a pest?,” Mr Porceddu asked.
“Yes,” Mr Lynn replied.
Mr Porceddu accused Mr Lynn of firing several shots at Mrs Clay, later telling police there were shots fired into the air as a “cover” for if others had heard.
His barrister, Dermot Dann KC, interjected, saying it was “improper” for the prosecution to make up a version of events “in desperation”.
Justice Croucher agreed, saying the prosecution was “inventing” an account without evidence.
CROSS-EXAMINATION BEGINS
Mr Lynn is now being cross-examined by crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu.
He confirmed he purchased the Barathrum SP 12 gauge shotgun just nine days before the fatal incident.
‘COMPLETELY UNTRUE’
Mr Dann asked Mr Lynn how he responded to the prosecution argument that the only reason he destroyed their campsite and burned their bodies was because he had murdered Mr Hill and Mrs Clay.
“It’s completely untrue,” he said.
“I was trying to get the shotgun off him the first time and I was trying to defend myself the second time.”
Mr Lynn told the jury his actions after the couple’s deaths were “despicable”.
“All I can say to the families is that I’m very sorry for your suffering that I caused.”
PILOT BOLTED AFTER CAMPER FIRED GUN
Mr Lynn told the jury he approached Mr Hill, who was standing outside of his tent, after he had taken his shotgun to demand he give it back.
Mr Hill, he said, fired a shot into the air, causing Mr Lynn to “bolt for the shadow”.
“He fired at least a second shot I don’t know where that went. He may have fired a third time, I distinctly remember two,” he said.
Mr Lynn told the jury he hid behind Mr Hill’s LandCruiser and made a grab for the shotgun after he saw the barrel appear over the bonnet.
DRONE PHOTOS
Mr Lynn said Mr Hill had accused him of hunting too close to camp.
“He said that’s when he had used the phone, the, um, drone to take pictures of me,” He told the jury.
“It was just nonsense. I crossed the river via the suspension bridge … I was hunting right up in the end of the Gully.”
COURT ADJOURNED FOR MID-MORNING BREAK
The court was adjourned for a midmorning break about 11.30am after Mr Lynn’s barrister, Dermot Dann KC, said he had “about half an hour to go”.
WHY MR LYNN DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE POLICE TO BODIES
After police arrived at the Union Spur track, they found finding the exact location difficult due to foggy conditions.
Mr Lynn said he drew a map to help police but he didn’t want to return to the site if he could help it. “If they really couldn’t find it I would go up there with them,” he said.
“Memories of the whole time are very hard, I just didn’t want to go there.”
SKETCH TO FIND REMAINS
Mr Lynn told the jury he had directed police to where they could find Mr Hill and Mrs Clay’s remains.
He said he was shown photos from the scene and drew a sketch of the area to assist.
“In the pictures the ground was completely flat,” he said.
“Clearly the site had been graded in the interval between the fire and when the police went to see it.”
PILOT TOOK MONEY FROM CAMPERS TO ‘DISAPPEAR’
Mr Lynn told the jury he took $30 or $40 from Mr Hill’s wallet to pay for fuel, saying his plan was to not leave a trace.
“The whole plan, ill conceived as it was, was for me to disappear,” he said.
“My plan was to leave on one track and deposit the bodies where they would be found … But then later I would be able to say I travelled by a different track, if I was ever asked.
”I didn’t want to be refuelling using a credit card which would pinpoint me at a certain place but I don’t carry a lot. So, um yeah, I took that.”
SURPRISE TOOL IN SCENE CLEANUP
Mr Lynn told the jury he used gloves to clean up the “horrendous” scene after the campers’ deaths.
“There’s always gloves in my Patrol, they’re actually gloves from Jetstar that I haven’t used,” he said.
“Most of the pilots just take off and leave the cabin crew to do that but I always grab some gloves, go through and help them clean up.”
He told the jury he would use these to bag deer to avoid getting blood on his hands.
“Why did you use them on this particular night,” Mr Dann questioned.
He responded; “oh for the same reason, the scene was horrendous”.
‘REMOVE TRACES’
Mr Lynn was questioned on why he told police during his interview he cleaned the gun to “remove traces of Mr Hill”.
“To be honest it was because I wanted to get all traces of what happened out of my life,” he said.
Mr Dann questioned why he would need to remove traces of Mr Hill, who he claims died after falling on a knife.
“There would have been his fingerprints and DNA on it,” he said.
Mr Lynn told the jury there was a 20mm hole through the side mirror of Mr Hill’s Land Cruiser after the shotgun slug pierced through it and struck Mrs Clay as the two men fought for control of the gun.
He told the jury he was not sure, but believed he used a piece of wood or a rock to remove it.
“I decided the mirror had to go. That was evidence of what happened here, as I discussed in the interview, I wanted to disappear and I wanted all trace of what happened to be gone with me.”
THE SKETCH
Questioned by his lawyer, Dermot Dann KC, Mr Lynn was asked to look at a sketch he had drawn during his police interview.
“There’s an asterisk there to mark the spot where Carol Clay was standing where she was shot in the head and where she died,” the former Jetstar pilot said calmly, his eyes fixed on the sketch in front of him.
“That (line) indicates the angle that the shotgun was positioned at the time of the discharge.”
Questioned about where Ms Clay was at the time she was shot, Mr Lynn said she was positioned near the rear wheel of Mr Hill’s car.
“At the time of the discharge I was struggling with Russell Hill for control of the shotgun, you know, I wasn’t looking at her … I could say she was down low.”
Mr Lynn told the jury when he gave his account of the deaths of Carol Clay and Russell Hill to police, he had been truthful.
Mr Dann asked; “in the record of interview, did you attempt to tell the truth?’
“At, at times,” Mr Lynn responded.
Mr Lynn told the jury he had been sitting near his fire when he became aware there was “activity” by his car, drawing on an aerial photo of the camp.
“When I became aware of activity on the evening of March 20, 2020 … I got up from my chair which was near that black dot,” he said.
“I could see RH walking back to his Land Cruiser with my shotgun.”
His lawyer, questioned; “what was he doing?”
“He was trying to feed the magazine into it,” Mr Lynn responded.
‘CURIOUS’ FIND
Mr Lynn told the jury the discovery of a lead fragment with traces of Mrs Clay’s DNA in March 2022 was “curious”.
He said as he cleaned up the area to cover his tracks, he did not find the fragment, suggesting it “must have been moved there”.
“It was quite curious because they raked up that whole area,” he said.
“But they didn’t rake up that fragment.”
‘FROM HIS OWN MOUTH’
Following more than three weeks of evidence, prosecutors closed their case on Wednesday afternoon after Detective Sergeant Brett Florence, who laid the charges against Mr Lynn, finished giving evidence.
Thursday’s appearance by Mr Lynn will give the jury their first opportunity to hear Mr Lynn’s account in person, and allow prosecutors to test his account of the couple’s deaths.
At the start of the trial, Mr Dann said jurors would hear his client’s account of being caught up in a terrible situation “from his own mouth”.
“This is a case of two accidental, tragic deaths. Tragic accidental deaths in circumstances which were not of Mr Lynn’s making, and not of his choosing,” the lawyer said.
“And you will hear this from his own mouth — in the face of that disaster, he made a series of terrible choices.”
WHAT HAPPENED AT BUCKS CAMP?
Prosecutors allege Mr Lynn murdered the pair, likely after a dispute over Mr Hill’s drone, in the evening of March 20.
His defence claims Mrs Clay was accidentally shot as the two men fought over a shotgun Mr Hill had swiped from Mr Lynn’s car following an argument about deer hunting too close to camp.
On his account, Mr Hill then came at him with a kitchen knife which pierced his chest as both men fell during a struggle for control.
The jury heard Mr Lynn did not dispute he had attempted to hide his involvement, setting fire to the couples’ camp and dumping their bodies in bushland, only to return months later and set fire to them.
The trial continues.
Originally published as Greg Lynn trial: Ex-pilot tells jury he ‘panicked’ after deaths of missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay
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