Reality television star Matt Wright has been sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended after five months, for attempting to pervert the course of justice following a fatal helicopter crash in 2022. The 47-year-old was sentenced by Acting Justice Alan Blow at the Supreme Court in Darwin on Friday.
The Outback Wrangler star lost his co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson in the February 2022 crash, which also left pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic. The incident occurred during a crocodile-egg collecting trip in Arnhem Land, with Wilson slung below the helicopter.
Wright was found guilty by a jury on 29 August of lying to crash investigators about the fuel level and attempting to get Robinson to falsify his flying hours. The jury could not reach a verdict on a third charge of asking a friend to destroy the helicopter's maintenance release. Prosecutors did not allege Wright caused the crash.
Judge Blow said Wright's actions were driven by fear that an investigation would reveal the helicopter had exceeded its maximum flight time of 2,200 hours. He described Wright's attempt to pressure Robinson, who had just emerged from a coma and learned he might never walk again, as 'callous'. Wright was also fined $5,000 for lying to police. His defence lawyers are pursuing an appeal against the convictions.
