Greg Lynn: Former Jetstar pilot spends first night in jail after murder sentence

Convicted killer Greg Lynn has spent his first night behind bars after being sentenced to 32 years’ jail for the murder of camper Carol Clay.

The former Jetstar pilot, 58, learnt his fate in the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday after a jury had found him guilty of shooting Mrs Clay in the head at a high country campsite in March 2020.

He then placed her body — and the body of her lover Russell Hill — into a trailer and drove them to a remote bush track.

Lynn returned seven months later after the COVID-19 lockdown lifted to burn their remains into more than 2000 bone fragments.

Justice Michael Croucher described the killing as “violent, brutal and horrific”, noting Mrs Clay was a defenceless woman who posed no threat to Lynn.

The judge could not make findings in relation to Lynn’s motive to kill, nor the order of the deaths of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay because of the jury’s split verdicts — having acquitted Lynn of murdering Mr Hill.

But Lynn’s decision to hide and then burn the bodies “into almost nothingness” was a significant aggravating feature, the justice said.

“This left (Mrs Clay’s) loved ones in a state of agonising uncertainty for an indeterminate period, which turned out to be 20 long months,” the judge said.

“This was just a terrible thing to do.”

Justice Croucher took into consideration that Lynn admitted “despicable” post-offence conduct, he led police to the remains and he apologised to the victims’ loved ones.

But it was a grave case of murder and the jail term should reflect the seriousness of the crime, Justice Croucher said.

Lynn stared straight ahead and blinked as he was sentenced to 32 years behind bars, with a non-parole period of 24 years.

There were gasps in the packed courtroom, which was filled with the family and friends of both Mrs Clay and Mr Hill.

The families chose not to make a statement outside court.

But Lynn’s barrister Dermot Dann KC spoke to waiting media, reiterating his client’s plans to appeal the murder conviction.

He had flagged the appeal in an earlier court hearing, claiming the prosecution had conducted the trial unfairly and there was inconsistency in the jury’s verdicts.

“We’ll just wait for the Court of Appeal,” Mr Dann told reporters on Friday.

“We have 28 days to lodge the appeal and we’re instructed to lodge that appeal against conviction so we’ll just have to see how that goes.”

If the conviction and sentence are maintained, Lynn will be 79 by the time he’s eligible for parole.