Former airline pilot Greg Lynn has been denied bail ahead of his retrial scheduled for May, where he faces charges of murdering 73-year-old Carol Clay. Lynn, 60, was arrested in September 2021 in relation to Clay’s disappearance while camping in March 2020 alongside 74-year-old Russell Hill.

Appearing before the Victorian Supreme Court on Tuesday, Lynn sought release pending his upcoming trial but was refused by Chief Justice Richard Niall, who ruled that Lynn had not demonstrated exceptional circumstances to warrant bail. The judge noted that the gravity of the murder charge and ongoing delays did not justify releasing Lynn from custody.

Lynn has consistently denied the murder charge, maintaining that Clay’s death was accidental. At the hearing, he described challenging conditions in prison, including allegations of being attacked twice by other inmates. According to Lynn, one assault in 2024 involved an inmate throwing a milk jug filled with feces and other substances over him. A subsequent incident in July involved threats and intimidation, leading to his placement in protective custody. Lynn said he felt unsafe around other prisoners and had effectively been confined to solitary-like conditions.

Lynn’s barrister, Dermott Dann KC, argued for bail on the grounds of prolonged detention and the involvement of Lynn’s eldest son, Geordie Lynn, who has offered $70,000 of his life savings as a bail guarantee. However, Chief Justice Niall rejected these arguments, emphasizing that while extended pre-trial custody can sometimes justify bail, the circumstances were different due to Lynn’s prior trial and acquittal.

Lynn was initially tried in 2024, where he was found guilty of murdering Clay but acquitted of charges related to Hill’s disappearance. This conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal last year after a panel of three judges ruled that a miscarriage of justice had occurred due to prosecutorial misconduct during the trial. Consequently, a new trial has been ordered.

Lynn has remained in custody since his arrest and will face retrial in May 2027 to determine his guilt or innocence in the death of Carol Clay.