Greg Lynn trial: Campers Russell Hill’s friends tell jury they were aware of affair before alleged murders

A close mate of an elderly man allegedly murdered on a camping trip “almost fell on the floor” when he learnt of Russell Hill’s 14-year affair, a jury has been told. Gregory Stuart Lynn, 57, returned before the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday as three of Mr Hill’s long-term friends were called to give evidence at the estimated four-to-six-week trial. The former Jetstar pilot is facing trial in Victoria’s Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to the murders of Mr Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, in March 2020. The pair’s disappearance on a camping trip in the Wonnangatta Valley prompted an extensive search and rescue operation, with their remains discovered 20 months later. Prosecutors allege Mr Lynn killed the pair “without lawful justification”, likely after a dispute with Mr Hill, while his defence argued the couple’s deaths were a tragic accident. This is a case of two accidental, tragic deaths … in circumstances which were not of Mr Lynn’s making, and not of his choosing,” defence barrister Dermot Dann KC told the jury. “You will hear this from his own mouth – in the face of that disaster, he made a series of terrible choices.” On Friday, the 15-person jury heard from George Kozlowski, Rob Ashlin and James Francis, three members of the same amateur radio group as Mr Hill who communicated almost every night. In colourful evidence, Mr Ashlin said he had a lengthy conversation with Mr Hill on the evening of March 20 after Mr Hill had asked for advice on how to leave the Valley in a direction he didn’t normally go. “He wanted to go out the other way to Dargo and probably stop at Ollies Jump Up (another campground) … He knew I knew the way,” he said. Asked how Russell seemed during the conversation, Mr Ashlin said; “Russell was as happy as a pig in s--t”. “He couldn’t have been happier. And when he signed off... they’re the last words he spoke to me.” The jury was told Mr Hill had spent much of his working life logging in the Wonnangatta Valley and “knew every nook and cranny”. Mr Ashlin said Mr Hill did not log on for their group’s regular conversation at 6pm the following evening and he received a call from Mr Hill’s wife, Robyn, that weekend. He told the jury she asked him to check in as she had not heard from her husband and the pair stayed in contact over the following days. “We normally don’t worry about the weekends so much, but if somebody’s up the bush we do,” he said. “Then Monday there was nothing and that’s when I said to her, I think it’s time you went to the cops — something’s not right.” Mr Ashlin said after the elderly couple were reported missing, Robyn Hill had confided in him that Mrs Clay had been “on the scene” for about two decades. “Apparently they were childhood sweethearts, Carol went off and got married and so did Russell to Robyn,” he said. “Russell and Carol were supposed to get together … Carol divorced her husband but Russell backed out.” He told the jury he’d met Mrs Clay only once when visiting another friend as a camping spot. “Even though I was told Carol was a friend, blind freddy could see how they looked at each other — there was a relationship or there was a bit more going on,” he said. Mr Ashlin later told police he “almost fell on the floor” when he’d heard this. “It was something about Russell that I’d never ever thought of,” he said. “You’re thinking about a bloke around his 60s, 70s ...what’s the go with um, one on the side. One’s enough trouble.” Another radio club member, James Francis, said he’d first been introduced to Mrs Clay while camping with the pair for about two weeks. “I’ll be bringing a woman with me and she’s not my wife, is that OK?,” he told the jury Mr Hill had asked. “What they told me around our many campfire chats is they’d met as teenagers and had a romantic relationship and drifted apart. “My understanding is Carol was a family friend pretty much throughout life.” Mr Francis said he’d last spoke with Mr Hill over radio about 8am on March 20 and he seemed “perfectly normal”. “I made the assumption Carol Clay was with him, but no I didn’t ask,” he said. Mr Francis, a semi-retired electrical engineer, was asked whether a pilot, Mr Lynn’s occupation, would have been experienced enough with communication devices to use a high frequency radio. “They would use a similar type of radio and presumably know how to operate it,” he said. In his opening remarks, crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu said they would rely on Mr Lynn’s alleged post offence conduct as an “implied admission”, including that he did not call for assistance on Mr Hill’s radio or report the deaths. The trial, before Justice Michael Croucher, will resume on Monday.