Reality TV star jailed for interfering with crash probe

Friday, 12 December 2025 17:22

The Outback Wrangler star lost his best mate and co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson in the February 2022 crash that left pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic.

Reality television star Matt Wright has been accused of "callousness" and given a 10-month jail sentence for attempting to pervert the course of justice following a fatal helicopter crash.

The 47-year-old was sentenced by Acting Justice Alan Blow in the Supreme Court in Darwin today.

The Outback Wrangler star lost his best mate and co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson in the February 2022 crash that left pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic.

Wright, pictured at an earlier court date, is set to be sentenced in the Supreme Court in Darwin

It happened during a crocodile-egg collecting trip in Arnhem Land while Wilson was slung on a line below a chopper to drop onto nests in remote swampland.

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.

On August 29, a jury found Wright guilty on the first two counts but could not reach agreement on the third torching accusation.

His defence lawyers are pursuing an appeal against his guilty verdicts.

In court on Friday, Acting Justice Blow sentenced Wright to 10 months in prison, suspended after he serves five months, with a two-year good behaviour period.

The Outback Wrangler star lost his best mate and co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson in the crash that left pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic.

He was given a $5000 fine on the charge of lying to police.

Wright bowed to the judge before he was led away.

The maximum penalty for attempting to pervert the course of justice is 15 years' jail.

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

The prosecution did not allege Wright caused the chopper crash, the death of Wilson or Robinson's injuries.

Acting Justice Blow said Wright made unlawful attempts to prevent charges being laid against him and his helicopter company Helibrook despite being the holder of an air operating licence which carried safety obligations.

It was highly likely the helicopter that crashed should not have been flying after exceeding its maximum flight time of 2200 hours, at which it should have been retired or undergone a costly overhaul, the judge said.

Wilson was slung on a line below a chopper to drop onto nests in remote swampland.

"It is clear you had reason to fear that a thorough investigation might reveal that the 2200-hour limit had been exceeded," he said.

Acting Justice Blow accepted Wright's lying to police by saying there was still fuel left in the crashed chopper was a bid to avoid charges being laid to protect himself and his friend Robinson.

That charge was not as serious as trying to get Robinson to falsify flying hour records by putting hours from the crashed chopper onto the pilot's own machine.

"That was a serious attempt to pervert the course of justice", the judge said.

"It's significant that you had the callousness to make and pursue this request when Mr Robinson had recently come out of a coma and had just learned that he was unlikely ever to walk again."

Acting Justice Blow said it was the worst possible time to put any pressure on Robinson when he was heavily medicated and very vulnerable.

He found Wright had contributed substantially to the community as a successful operator of tourist ventures and supporter of charities and conservation causes, noting impressive character references.

The adverse publicity surrounding Wright had led to some of his businesses being on the point of failure, the judge noted.

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