Police found a label for erectile dysfunction pill Viagra belonging to elderly camper Russell Hill in the bathroom bin of his secret lover Carol Clay, a court has heard.
Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn, 57, has pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court of Victoria to the murders of secret lovers Mr Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, in the Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria’s Alpine region, in March 2020.
The revelations on Wednesday came a day after Mr Hill’s wife Robyn told the jury he had once been hospitalised for ‘an enlarged penis that wouldn’t go down’.
Detective Senior Constable Amy Frost was tasked with investigating the couple’s disappearance in March 2020.
Part of that initial investigation saw her attend the homes of Mr Hill and Ms Clay in the days after Ms Hill reported her husband missing.
Senior Constable Frost told the court she attended Ms Clay’s Pakenham home to search for clues that might explain how or why the couple had gone missing.
Under cross examination by Lynn’s barrister Dermot Dann, KC, the court heard the detective found a ‘ripped-up Viagra medication in the name of Russell Hill in Carol Clay’s bathroom bin’.
Carol Clay and Russell Hill had been in a secret relationship for years. When police searched her house they found traces of Mr Hill’s erectile dysfunction pills
Greg Lynn claims Russell Hill killed Carol Clay after stealing his shotgun
‘It wasn’t a box … it was a sticky label that goes on the front of the medication and it was ripped-up into little pieces,’ Senior Constable Frost said.
The court heard Ms Clay’s family had been in the Pakenham home when they made the discovery.
‘The purpose of attending Carol Clay’s house was to locate any evidence or intelligence that might help us locate both Carol and Russell,’ the detective said.
The court heard police found a variety of medications belonging to Mr Hill in his recovered Landcruiser.
Among them was a box of anti-depressants, which on Wednesday Ms Hill told the jury her husband had been taking since an incident in the 1970s that saw him taken to hospital.
‘I’d have to say when he did go to hospital he had a very enlarged penis and it wouldn’t go down and that was part of the depression apparently,’ Ms Hill told the jury.
Crime scene photo of Russell Hill’s vehicle. His beloved radio is circled. Ms Clay’s belongings can be seen on the passenger seat.
Carol Clay had been in a secret, but loving relationship with Russell Hill
The jury has heard Mr Hill had mentioned suffering from depression in the days before Lynn claims he killed him in self defence.
The jury heard last week evidence from a camper who claimed Mr Hill confided in him that he had struggled with retirement.
‘Now I’m retired and it really f***ed me up,’ Mr Hill told the stranger.
The court heard Ms Hill had bought her husband a fresh box of anti-depressants along with cans of bourbon and coke and a bottle of Bundaberg rum for the trip.
Images of that alcohol still bundled into Mr Hill’s Esky were shown to the court on Wednesday.
As were other images of Lynn entering the remote wilderness captured from CCTV cameras in the area.
On Wednesday, more information was provided about the loving relationship Mr Hill had enjoyed with his secret lover.
Ms Clay’s friend Louise Heib told the court Mr Hill had been her friend’s first love, but Mr Hill had been unwilling to commit.
‘Carol told me they were originally together as a couple when they were a lot younger, but when Carol started to get serious about the relationship when they were younger they broke up and it devastated her,’ she said.
Ms Heib said the pair’s relationship ‘flared back up’ years later.
The broken passenger side mirror of Russell Hill’s vehicle is circled. Police believe it was blown off in the same blast that killed Carol Clay
The burnt remains of Mr Hill’s tent.
The jury has previously heard Mr Hill’s wife and three children had become aware of his secret relationship in the early 2000s when he assured them he would end it.
While Ms Clay divorced her husband 비닉스100mg복용법 in anticipation of carrying on her relationship with Mr Hill, he backed out and instead continued to see her in secret right up until the time of their deaths.
Ms Heib claimed Ms Clay told her Mr Hill could not leave his wife ‘because she was not a well lady’.
Her friend told the court she was supportive of Ms Clay’s relationship with Mr Hill.
‘I told her everyone deserves love so just go for it,’ she said.
‘But I didn’t tell anyone else about her relationship because it’s her news and not that she needed my approval, but I told her to go for it.’
Ms Heib claimed Ms Clay ‘liked the situation’ she had with Mr Hill.
‘I don’t think that worried her. She was quite independent,’ she said.
The court heard Ms Clay confided in her friend that she enjoyed going camping and hiking with Mr Hill.
‘When she came back from camping she would tell me about the beautiful hikes they would go on and show me pictures on her phone of the hikes that they went on,’ Ms Heib said.
The court heard Mr Hill ran a very organised vehicle during their adventures in the bush.
‘Carol had a certain allotted spot and she wasn’t allowed to go over that spot,’ Ms Heib said.
‘Everything was allotted and in its place.’
Russell Hill’s wife Robyn told the jury about her husband’s secret affair with Carol Clay
Campers had observed Russell Hill’s vehicle to be a customised camping machine
The court heard Ms Clay – a Country Women’s Association stalwart – acted as cook on their trips and supplied the food they would eat while in the remote bush.
‘She loved the country girl side of things. She was just free and didn’t have to worry about putting on her (lipstick) or make-up,’ Ms Heib said.
The court heard Ms Clay would tell her friend excitedly about any upcoming trips away with Mr Hill.
On the day she ventured off on her last trip, the court heard Ms Clay called her friend from the road.
‘She sounded excited to be on the road and going camping,’ Ms Heib said.
In opening the trial last week, Mr Dann told the jury Mr Hill stole Lynn’s shotgun after he became enraged about Lynn playing loud music on the night he was killed.
‘He went towards Mr Hill to try and get the gun back – to take control of the gun. Mr Hill fired the gun into the air and Mr Lynn initially took cover towards the rear of his car,’ Mr Dann said.
Lynn would later tell police he was ‘scared s***less’ by Mr Hill’s actions.
‘He decided the only way to make things safe was to get his gun back,’ Mr Dann said.
The jury heard that as Lynn tried to wrestle the firearm away from Mr Hill, the gun discharged and Ms Clay was hit in the head.
‘The next thing is Mr Hill’s advancing towards him with a knife screaming at him “she’s dead”,’ Mr Dann said.
‘A struggle developed over the knife. Mr Lynn trying to defend himself – they’re locked in this struggle – and as part of that struggle the two men fall to the ground and the knife goes through the chest of Mr Hill.’
The court heard Mr Hill and Lynn had argued earlier in the day about Lynn hunting for deer so close to other campers.
The trial continues.
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