The Supreme Court trial of a man charged with murdering campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill in Victoria's High Country has been delayed until next year.
Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn is pleading not guilty to two counts of murder, but is facing "funding issues", his high-profile barrister Dermot Dann KC says.
On Thursday during a pre-trial hearing in Melbourne, Mr Dann requested the trial be pushed back from a planned October 2023 start date until early 2024.
"A number of funding issues are trying to be dealt with at the present time. They're going to take a long time to resolve," Mr Dann said.
"In terms of it continuing to be a privately-funded matter, there's a battle in that regard."
The court heard Mr Lynn's trial could last up to six weeks.
Mr Lynn was charged in November 2021 over the alleged murders of Ms Clay and Mr Hill at a Victorian campsite in March 2020.
Police allege Mr Lynn was involved in a deadly fight with the pair, and later disposed of their bodies in remote bushland.
Judicial registrar Tim Freeman agreed the legal process would be delayed by Mr Lynn's financial issues, ordering a new trial date be fixed for the first quarter of 2024.
"It should be a situation where we should be able to fix this for trial no later than mid-February," he said.
Prosecutor John Dickie said the Crown was "keen to keep things moving along".
Mr Lynn observed the hearing via video link and was only required to wave his hand to the camera to acknowledge he could see and hear proceedings.
The matter was adjourned for a further directions hearing on June 22.
