Ex-pilot’s trial enters final stage

Jurors in the double-murder trial of former Jetstar captain Gregory Lynn will hear the presiding judge “summing up” the case as they return to court on Thursday for the final stages of the trial.

Mr Lynn, 57, is facing trial in the Victorian Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to the murders of Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, on March 20, 2020.

The elderly couple vanished while camping in the remote Wonnangatta Valley, with the discovery of their charred campsite prompting an investigation that led to the then-airline pilot’s arrest 20 months later.

Over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, the 14-person jury heard closing arguments from crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu and defence barrister Dermot Dann KC.

Mr Porceddu told the jury the prosecution’s case centred on the “deliberate” series of actions taken by Mr Lynn to hide his involvement in their deaths.

“As I said at the start of the case, the prosecution cannot say the motive or precise circumstances of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay’s death,” he said.

“However, what we do say is that it is likely Mr Lynn bore some animosity towards Mr Hill and Mrs Clay and most probably towards Mr Hill.”

On the prosecution case, the jury heard, the three people were the only one’s camping at Bucks Camp on the night in question, with the accused man “the last person left alive”.

Mr Porceddu said Mr Lynn’s actions after the alleged murder, including cleaning and burning the campsite and, disposing of the bodies only to return eight months later to “incinerate” them, were taken because he knew the forensic evidence would reveal that fact.

He suggested the only reasonable explanation for the “completely disproportionate” acts was murder.

Mr Porceddu urged the jury to reject Mr Lynn’s account of two accidental deaths as “fanciful”, saying it did not stand up to scrutiny.

“The accused’s story is indeed a series of very unfortunate events,” he said.

“Like the book series it is also a complete fiction, you can and should reject it readily beyond all reasonable doubt.”

Mr Dann told the court the steps taken by Mr Lynn were not in dispute, but were born out of panic and fearing he would be wrongly blamed.

He said prosecutors had 2 ½ years to disprove his account and could not prove anything he said was a lie.

Mr Dann said that over the weeks of evidence the prosecution’s case had gotten “weaker and weaker” while Mr Lynn’s account “only looks stronger and stronger”.

Mr Dann labelled Mr Porceddu “Old Clouseau” – a reference to the clumsy fictional detective in the Pink Panther series — accusing him of taking a
“series of desperate and ill-fated tactical manoeuvres” that at times broke the rules of fairness.

We call out this prosecution case for what it is – it’s descended into a hopeless mess,” he said.

“It’s been a shambles. There’s no other word to describe it.”

This week, Justice Michael Croucher advised the jury that following the closing arguments he would begin delivering his charge.

“I’ll commence giving you my charge, or summing up, where I explain the law and try and bundle it up in a way that directs you on the issues that you need to decide,” he said.

This, he said, was expected to take all of Thursday and possibly spill over into Friday.

Following this a balloting process will see the jury reduced from 14 to 12 and the remaining jurors will be sent out to consider their verdicts.

The trial continues.