Matt Wright outside Darwin Local Court. December 7, 2023.
Share and Follow

Reality TV star Matt Wright has been found guilty of two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice after a deadly helicopter crash.

But a Supreme Court jury in Darwin today failed to reach agreement on a third count after a four-week trial.

The Outback Wrangler star was accused of trying to cover up evidence following the February 2022 crash that killed his co-star Chris “Willow” Wilson and left pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic.

Matt Wright outside Darwin Local Court. December 7, 2023.
Matt Wright has been found guilty of two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice after a deadly helicopter crash. (Neve Brissenden/AAP)

The pair were on a crocodile-egg collecting mission in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, with Wilson slung on a line below the chopper to be dropped onto croc nests in remote swampland.

The Air Transport Safety Bureau concluded the helicopter ran out of fuel, causing the engine to shut down and the machine to crash to the ground.

Wright was accused of lying to crash investigators about the amount of fuel in the machine, of trying to get Robinson to falsify flying hours and of asking a friend to “torch” the helicopter’s maintenance release.

The February 2022 accident killed the Outback Wrangler star’s best mate and co-star Chris “Willow” Wilson. (Supplied)

Wright sat impassively in the dock as the verdicts were delivered and his defence counsel said his client would appeal the verdicts.

He was granted bail despite the prosecution seeking he go into custody given the seriousness of the offences.

The charges against Wright did not relate to the cause of the accident and the prosecution did not allege he was responsible for the crash, Wilson’s death or Robinson’s injuries.

Prosecutors alleged Wright was worried investigators would learn his choppers’ flying-hour meters were regularly disconnected to extend flying hours beyond official thresholds and paperwork was falsified to match.

Senior defence counsel David Edwardson KC worked hard to focus blame on Robinson, who was painted as a cocaine-trafficking “party animal”.

Wright had earlier pleaded not guilty to all three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The jury for the trial held before Acting Justice Allan Blow on Friday found Wright guilty of two counts.

But they could not reach agreement on a third after they had begun deliberating late yesterday.

That count regarded Wright asking a friend to “torch” the crashed chopper’s maintenance release in a bid to stop it getting into the hands of air crash investigators.

Wright will be sentenced on October 6.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Trump ties failure to win Nobel Peace Prize to efforts to acquire Greenland

Trump Links Nobel Peace Prize Snub to Greenland Acquisition Attempt

US President Donald Trump told Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that…

Breaking the Billionaire Cycle: How a Wealth Tax Could Transform Economic Inequality

As the world’s billionaires grow richer by the day, a few dozen…
Aurora australis in Hobart, Tasmania.

Intense Geomagnetic Storm Over Australia Could Illuminate the Night Sky with Auroras

A powerful geomagnetic storm currently in progress could trigger the aurora australis…
CCTV footage shows the ute performing a u-turn and tailing the boys as they tried to run away.

Urgent Police Search: Stolen Ute Attack Targets Jewish Teens in Disturbing Hate Crime

Police are hunting for two persons of interest after a stolen white…
Bull sharks are known to be more aggressive than other species of shark.

Surge in Bull Shark Attacks: Understanding the Increased Risk and Safety Measures

There have been four shark attacks in NSW in less than 48…
Hate speech laws set to pass parliament despite internal pushback

Parliament Poised to Approve Controversial Hate Speech Legislation Amidst Internal Debate

The federal government’s legislative push to address hate speech, prompted by the…
China's birth rate plunges to lowest level since comunist revolution

China Experiences Historic Low in Birth Rates Since Communist Era Began

The official birth rate in China has plunged to its lowest level…
Disturbing discovery is made in the water on Australia's doorstep - as six people are arrested

Shocking Find in Nearby Waters Leads to Arrest of Six Individuals in Australia

<!– <!– <!– <!– Authorities in Fiji have intercepted a suspected drug-smuggling…