Greg Lynn, the former Jetstar pilot awaiting retrial over the alleged murder of retiree Carol Clay, has told the Victorian Supreme Court that other prisoners have assaulted and threatened him while he has been held on remand. Mr Lynn, 60, gave evidence in the witness box on Thursday during a bail application, according to ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
He is seeking release ahead of a retrial scheduled for mid-2027 over Ms Clay's alleged murder at a remote campsite in Victoria's High Country in 2020. Mr Lynn has been in custody since 2021 and has consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining he bore no criminal responsibility for what happened to Ms Clay and her companion, Russell Hill.
Why it matters
The hearing turns on whether Mr Lynn's time in custody has become exceptional enough to justify releasing an accused murderer before trial. His lawyers must satisfy Chief Justice Richard Niall that there are exceptional circumstances supporting bail and that Mr Lynn would not pose an unacceptable risk to the community. The outcome will shape how he is held — and where — during the roughly 18 months remaining before the retrial.
Account of attacks in custody
Mr Lynn told the court that in 2024, while at the Melbourne Assessment Prison, another inmate threw a milk bottle filled with faeces and other bodily waste at him. He said some of the material landed on him and he washed it off in the shower for a long period afterwards. The ABC reports he described the incident as being "shitbombed."
He also gave evidence about events in July this year at the Metropolitan Remand Centre, where he is currently held. He said a prisoner threatened him after he declined to be placed in a holding cell with the man, describing the inmate as close to erupting. During a later confrontation with the same person, Mr Lynn said he called the man a police informer. He told the court he was the victim and the target of that informant.
After the July altercation in the Deakin B protection unit, Mr Lynn said other prisoners shouted insults at him for about an hour, including threats that he would be stabbed or bashed. He said he feels unsafe in the unit and in other protection-unit options proposed by Corrections Victoria, and that he believes some inmates would give false statements to police in exchange for a reduced sentence.
Corrections evidence and disputed claims
Anthony Calandro, a Corrections Victoria manager, told the court that footage of the July incident had been reviewed and staff saw no sign that Mr Lynn was attacked. He said the complaint was referred to Victoria Police and the footage was subsequently wiped. Mr Calandro said the department is willing to move Mr Lynn to another prison but cannot do so while he keeps accusing other prisoners of being informers.
Mr Lynn also described conditions in one unit as draconian, saying he was locked down for 23 hours a day. He said he is widely disliked among inmates at the remand centre, including many he has never met.
On the question of risk, Mr Lynn addressed a concern raised about his wife Melanie, a flight attendant who holds an airport security pass. He said the worry appeared to be that he would take her pass and do something at the airport, though he did not elaborate. Ms Melanie Lynn and the couple's eldest son, Geordie, attended court to support him. Mr Lynn hopes to live with Geordie if released.
His barrister, Dermot Dann, argued that Mr Lynn had been acquitted over Mr Hill's death and should receive the full benefit of that acquittal at the retrial. Mr Dann pointed to the length of time Mr Lynn has spent on remand, the isolation of his conditions and his family's support as reasons favouring bail. Crown prosecutor Mark Gibson KC opposed release, telling the court that exceptional circumstances do not exist in this case.
Mr Lynn appeared in a lavender shirt, tie and dark suit for the hearing, the ABC reported.
The judge has yet to rule. Watch for Chief Justice Niall's decision on whether Mr Lynn is released, and for any ruling on where Corrections Victoria must house him if he remains in custody.
