Reality TV star Matt Wright has been found guilty of two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following a fatal helicopter crash in February 2022 that killed his co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson and left pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic. The verdict was delivered by a Supreme Court jury in Darwin on Friday after a four-week trial before acting Justice Allan Blow.
The jury failed to reach a verdict on a third count. Wright faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail when he is sentenced on 6 October, but his legal team has indicated they will appeal the guilty verdicts. Speaking outside court, Wright said the ordeal had been 'devastating for everyone involved' and that there were 'no winners' from the trial.
The charges did not relate to the cause of the crash, and the prosecution did not allege Wright was responsible for the accident. However, Wilson's widow, Dani, said Wright's actions had 'denied a complete, thorough and unimpeded investigation into the crash'. She described the verdicts as a step closer to justice, adding that her two sons would soon spend their fourth Father's Day without their father.
The crash occurred during a crocodile-egg collecting mission in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. The Air Transport Safety Bureau concluded the helicopter ran out of fuel, causing the engine to shut down. Wright was accused of lying to investigators about fuel levels, attempting to get Robinson to falsify flying hours, and asking a friend to destroy the helicopter's maintenance release.
Prosecutors alleged Wright was concerned investigators would discover that flying-hour meters on his helicopters were regularly disconnected to extend flying hours beyond official limits. The defence focused blame on Robinson, portraying him as a cocaine-trafficking 'party animal' who colluded with his family to avoid serious charges. Robinson's brother read a statement on his behalf, saying the verdicts brought some closure but that the 'scars of the defendant's conduct are huge and permanent'.
