The former airline pilot accused of the murder of two campers in Victoria could face trial as early as October.
Greg Lynn, 56, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, who went missing in March 2020 while camping in the Wonnangatta Valley, north-east of Melbourne.
Last month Lynn was committed to stand trial in Victoria’s supreme court. He faced the court for a directions hearing on Thursday.
The judicial registrar Tim Freeman said it was possible the court could accommodate a six- to eight-week trial beginning at the start of October, with a view to the matter being completed before Christmas.
But Lynn’s lawyer, Dermot Dann KC, estimated the trial could stretch for six months should the prosecution rely on playing the vast amount of recordings it had covertly made of Lynn during the police investigation.
The prosecutor, John Dickie, said police would only rely on a relatively small number of recordings. When Freeman asked whether he was optimistic that six months would not be needed for the trial, he replied: “I’m always optimistic, your honour.”
The remains of Hill and Clay were uncovered in bushland not far from their campsite only days after Lynn was arrested in November 2021. Police allege they were dumped there by Lynn, who returned twice to the crime scene.
He was charged on 25 November 2021 with murdering the campers.
The court heard on Thursday that the prosecution and Lynn both wanted the trial to proceed in Melbourne, despite the court typically opting to hold trials as close as possible to where the alleged offending occurred.
Dann said he would make pre-trial applications relating to the case, which he said could mean the prosecution had to present a “radically different” case to that relied upon at committal.
When asked by Freeman about whether there were any issues regarding the disclosure of evidence from the prosecution, he noted the “vast, vast, vast” number of recordings of Lynn for which transcripts had not been supplied.
Dickie said transcripts of any relevant recordings would be provided, regardless of whether they were “inculpatory or exculpatory”.
Freeman said a judge was yet to be allocated to the case.
He ordered that Dickie prepare a number of documents including an indictment and summary of the prosecution’s opening for trial by 6 April, with Dann to respond the following month.
Lynn will return to court on 11 May for a further directions hearing.
