Reality TV star Matt Wright has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for attempting to pervert the course of justice after a fatal helicopter crash in 2022 that killed his co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson. The 47-year-old was sentenced by Acting Justice Alan Blow at the Supreme Court in Darwin on Friday.
The crash occurred during a crocodile-egg collecting trip in Arnhem Land in February 2022, when Wilson was slung on a line below a helicopter to drop onto nests in remote swampland. The pilot, Sebastian Robinson, was left a paraplegic. Wright was found guilty by a jury on 29 August of lying to crash investigators about the amount of fuel in the machine and attempting to get Robinson to falsify flying hours. The jury could not reach a verdict on a third charge of asking a friend to 'torch' the helicopter's maintenance release.
Justice Blow sentenced Wright to 10 months' imprisonment, suspended after he serves five months, with a two-year good behaviour period. He was also fined $5,000 for lying to police. The judge noted the maximum penalty for attempting to pervert the course of justice is 15 years' jail.
The prosecution did not allege Wright caused the crash, Wilson's death or Robinson's injuries. However, Blow said Wright made unlawful attempts to prevent charges being laid against him and his helicopter company, Helibrook, despite holding an air operating licence with safety obligations. The judge stated it was highly likely the helicopter should not have been flying after exceeding its maximum flight time of 2,200 hours, at which it should have been retired or undergone a costly overhaul.
Blow criticised Wright's 'callousness' in pressuring Robinson to falsify flying hour records while the pilot was heavily medicated and vulnerable after coming out of a coma. He acknowledged Wright's contributions to the community through tourist ventures, charities and conservation causes, but noted the adverse publicity had led some of his businesses to the point of failure. Wright's defence lawyers are pursuing an appeal against his guilty verdicts.
