A jury is expected to begin hearing evidence in the double murder trial of Gregory Stuart Lynn in the Victorian supreme court on Tuesday.
Lynn, 57, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Russell Hill and Carol Clay in the state’s alpine region in March 2020.
Fifteen jurors, eight men and seven women, were empanelled on Monday.
Three of the jurors will be reserve jurors, which justice Michael Croucher explained were considered necessary given the trial was expected to take four to six weeks.
Croucher earlier told the court that Lynn was accused of killing Hill and Clay at Buck’s Camp, in the Wonnangatta Valley, on or about 20 March 2020.
He said Lynn was a Jetstar airline captain at the time of the alleged murders. He is alleged to have shot Clay, 73, in the head and to have killed Hill, 74, Croucher said.
The trial is expected to hear openings from the prosecutor, Daniel Porceddu, and Lynn’s lawyer, Dermot Dann KC on Tuesday, and to then start hearing from witnesses.
It is expected three witnesses will give evidence on Tuesday.
The jury pool was earlier given a list of dozens of potential witnesses or other people allegedly connected to the case, including police, court staff, scientists, campers and park rangers.
The court was also told this list included experts related to automatic number plate recognition cameras, telecommunications, IT and firearms.
Should the 15 jurors still be available at the end of the trial, Croucher said three would be balloted off, aside from the foreperson, before deciding on a verdict.
Croucher directed the jurors to be required to deliver a verdict on Lynn in relation to the charges of murder, and in the alternative, manslaughter.
He told them the verdict must be unanimous, and reminded them about the burden of proof, saying “the accused never has to prove anything. That doesn’t change from start to finish”.
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Guardian
