By AIDAN KNIGHT
FORMER Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn, the man at the centre of the alleged High Country Killings in 2020, has applied for bail in anticipation of his upcoming retrial.
Lynn was acquitted of the murder of 74-year old Russell Hill, and convicted of the same charge for the death of Hill’s partner, Carol Clay, 73, in November 2024. He received a sentence of 32 years, with 24 years non-parole.
He was initially arrested at Sale Police Station.
The high-profile case made headlines around the country, as increasing details were released regarding what occurred in the Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020, throughout which Lynn maintained his innocence and referred to both deaths as an accident.
An appeals ruling last December heard how the conviction should be retried, under four grounds of “excessive” sentencing, mostly stemming from the prosecution’s management of the side of the case, which has been decided to reflect a miscarriage of justice, valid for fresh contest.
The Court of Appeals accepted two of these arguments, which found the onus of proof was reversed at particular points of the cross-examination, in relation to the police ballistics evidence. The other ground was that the prosecutor repeatedly breached a legal rule requiring lawyers to directly challenge a witness if they intend to dispute their evidence, rather than raising it later.
Under Victoria’s double jeopardy laws, this can only occur for the death of Ms Clay, as the acquittal for Mr Hill is not open for revisiting. The original trial saw a split jury, 18 months before the appeal verdict.
The retrial currently has no date set, but Lynn’s legal team has made confirmation their client is looking to be released back into the community.
