Murdered camper Russell Hill confided to another camper that retreat had “screwed” him before he allegedly died in a struggle trying to kill former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn.
Lynn, 57, of Caroline Springs, is accused of the murder of Mr Hill, 74, and his lover Carol Clay, 73, in the remote Wonnanangatta Valley in Victoria’s alpine region more than four years ago. years.
At Tuesday’s trial in Victoria’s Supreme Court, jurors heard Lynn claim Hill died during a fight with him when he fell on his own knife after accidentally shooting Clay to death.
Greg Lynn outside the Supreme Court of Victoria at the start of his Melbourne murder trial
The Burned Camp by Russell Hill and Carol Clay
On Wednesday, the first of the trial witnesses described Mr. Hill as a man of good character who had been struggling to retire after a life of forestry work in the same region where he died.
Deer hunter Chris Benton told the jury he met Hill at a camping area known as King Billy shortly before he and Clay made the trip to the nearby Wonnanangatta Valley.
Benton said he talked to Hill about his love of amateur radio and his life working in the woods before confiding in him about the struggles of his life as a retiree.
“I’m retired now and that really screwed me up,” Hill told the stranger.
While Benton claimed Hill told her he was married, he did not mention who Clay was or why he was camping with her.
‘If I come home, my wife will only scold me. I might as well stay here,” Mr. Hill allegedly told the camper.
The court heard that Mr Hill had been seen using a large chainsaw to cut up chewing gum, even though it was prohibited to do so in the woods.
Benton said that when he mentioned that to Mr. Hill, and the fact that he could get a ticket if caught by a park ranger, the elderly camper didn’t seem concerned.
“I don’t give a damn,” Hill reportedly commented.
On Wednesday, the court heard Lynn claimed Hill and Clay died in a “tragic accident.”
Russell Hill told a camper he had been struggling with retirement
Mr. Hill did not mention who Carol Clay was.
Lynn’s attorney, Dermot Dann, KC, told the jury that Mr. Hill stole Lynn’s shotgun after becoming enraged that Lynn was playing loud music the night he was murdered.
“He approached Mr. Hill to attempt to retrieve the gun and take control of the weapon. “Mr. Hill fired the gun into the air and Mr. Lynn initially took cover in the back of his car,” Mr. Dann said. .
Lynn would later tell police that he was “very scared” by Mr. Hill’s actions.
“He decided the only way to make things safe was to get his gun back,” Dann said.
The jury heard that when Lynn tried to grab the firearm from Mr Hill, the gun went off and Ms Clay was hit in the head.
“The next thing Mr. Hill advances towards him with a knife and yells ‘she’s dead,'” Mr. Dann said.
‘A fight developed over the knife. Mr. Lynn tries to defend himself (they are engaged in this fight) and as part of that fight the two men fall to the ground and the knife passes through Mr. Hill’s chest.
The court heard that Hill and Lynn had argued earlier that day about Lynn hunting deer so close to other campers.
The remote Wonnanangatta Valley where Hill and Clay met their destiny
Benton said Hill had told him that retirement “had an effect on him.”
“Russell worked in the forestry production industry his entire life and explained that from working in production to retiring had an effect on Russell,” he said.
‘He’s obviously a worker. He is a working class man, so that had an effect on his mental outlook.
Benton’s partner, Rowan Stewart, told the court that Hill had raised some concerns about how they stored their firearms while not camping.
Stewart told the jury that Hill asked if they unloaded their weapons and mentioned that a family member had previously died during a tragic hunting accident.
Like Benton, Stewart said Hill did not mention who Clay was and told the jury he was shocked when it was learned that Hill had disappeared with someone other than his wife.
Opening the case Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu dismissed Lynn’s version of events.
“It is likely that there was a dispute regarding Mr. Hill’s drone or the vision captured on his drone,” Porceddu said.
‘There could have been an argument or confrontation between the men. It is not known how Mr Hill was murdered.
The trial continues.