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ABC News
23 minutes ago
- ABC News
Matt Wright trial hears allegations of cocaine use and COVID-19 breaches
An "anti-vax" crocodile wrangler, a helicopter pilot's cocaine use and the patchy memory of witnesses struggling to recall key details of a fatal crash scene. These were just snippets from an explosive week of evidence heard by a jury in the high-profile Northern Territory Supreme Court trial against the Outback Wrangler Matt Wright. The star of Netflix reality adventure show Wild Croc Territory has been charged with three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, to which he's pleaded not guilty. The prosecution has alleged Mr Wright tried to obstruct and interfere with investigations into a helicopter crash which killed his co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson on February 28, 2022. Mr Wright's alleged to have done so with the motive of covering up a culture at his helicopter business, Helibrook, of systemically under-reporting helicopter flying hours — which the prosecution alleges was to avoid costly maintenance requirements for his fleet of choppers. Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC has alleged that after the crash Mr Wright was concerned that his "failure to record hours" would be revealed and "he could be blamed for the crash". Mr Wright is not alleged to have been at fault over the crash. The sole survivor of the crash, pilot Sebastian Robinson, took to the stand this week as a key witness in the prosecution's case, in which he branded Mr Wright an "anti-vaxxer" who allegedly asked him to alter flight records just 11 days after the crash which nearly killed him. Now paraplegic and forced to take breaks from giving evidence every 30 minutes, Mr Robinson told the jury of the life-altering injuries he'd been left with from the crash, from losing the use of his legs to a traumatic brain injury he continues to grapple with. He alleged that in March 2022, Mr Wright visited his Brisbane hospital room, with documents in his hand, and asked him to "manipulate hours on my aircraft". "I was obviously laying in a hospital bed," he said. "I was still in a pretty bad way and very confused, and I knew something wasn't right. "And I said, 'I'd think about it.'" While at his bedside, Mr Robinson also alleged Mr Wright deleted items from his phone, including notes about flying hours – an allegation which Mr Wright's barrister David Edwardson KC described as "an absolute falsehood". "Mr Robinson I suggest that, brain injury or not, Mr Wright never touched your phone and never deleted a single message from it," he said. In visiting the hospital, Mr Robinson also alleged that the Outback Wrangler had broken COVID-19 restrictions, due to him being unvaccinated. 'He was an anti-vaxxer," Mr Robinson said. '[To visit the hospital] you had to have a valid COVID certificate … a certificate of vaccination." As the injured former pilot gave evidence via video link to a packed courtroom, Mr Edwardson turned the microscope onto his past illegal drug use. The barrister questioned Mr Robinson on the extent of his past cocaine use, presenting extracted text messages sent and received by the chopper pilot. In one such message from 2019, Mr Edwardson said the pilot wrote: "Footy players in town and want bags." In another, a text conversation was laid bare with a "distant friend" named Morto: Sebastian Robinson: "Might have to come down Monday, crook as a dog." Morto: "Snorting too much coke out of Matty's arse, bro"? In response, Mr Edwardson said "you certainly know that Matt Wright has nothing to do with cocaine, don't you?" "Well, Morto's saying, 'snorting too much coke out of Matt's arse,'" he said. "Are you telling me you've been snorting coke out of Matt's arse?" Mr Edwardson asked. Mr Robinson was also asked whether he was ever a drug dealer, which he denied. "I've used cocaine before … I used to use it, you know, recreationally, maybe a couple of times a year," the witness said. In blood test results after the fatal crash, the court heard Mr Robinson had traces of cocaine in his system, which the prosecution said in its opening statement was "metabolised" and not to blame for the incident. Mr Robinson was also quizzed as to whether he had ever supplied alcohol to liquor-restricted remote Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land, to which replied "to sell, no I did not". The court was shown videos of Mr Robinson appearing to share alcohol with an Aboriginal ranger in Arnhem Land, which the pilot identified as a friend from Maningrida. Earlier in the week, the courtroom hosted a number of other witnesses, from fellow helicopter pilots to a crocodile egg industry manager and a CareFlight nurse. Among those was Jock Purcell, one of the crew involved in the egg collecting mission the day Mr Robinson's chopper crashed in a remote paperbark swamp. Mr Purcell, who was an employee of Mr Wright and also featured in Wild Croc Territory, often struggled to recall key details from the fatal crash site in 2022. At one stage that afternoon, Mr Gullaci questioned whether Mr Purcell was being more forthcoming to questioning from Mr Wright's defence barrister than to the prosecution: "Has your memory improved during the course of the day in giving evidence?" The surviving pilot, Mr Robinson, has also repeatedly said in evidence that he can't remember a lot from the time surrounding the fatal crash. With multiple witnesses giving evidence through the trial, often with differing perspectives of the same scene, the jury was evidently struggling. In a note to Acting Justice Alan Blow, the jury asked whether they could have some clarity to help them navigate the "discrepancies" between witness accounts. "Yes, different people have said different things," Judge Alan Blow said in response. A challenging task ahead for the jury as the trial against the Outback Wrangler gets ever more complex, with evidence set to continue in the NT Supreme Court next week.
The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
Matt Wright trial: Pilot's alleged spray at boss over stormy weather egg collection request
A young pilot told the Outback Wrangler to 'get f--ked, get vaccinated and go fly his own helicopter' after his boss chewed him out for pulling out of an unsafe mission. Sebastian Robinson on Friday finished giving evidence after being grilled over four days in the trial of Aussie reality television star, Matt Wright. The Apple TV and Netflix star has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice during the investigation into a chopper crash that killed his co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson. It is not alleged Mr Wright is responsible for the crash. On Friday the Northern Territory jury heard about the 'Australia Day incident' where the 28-year-old pilot and Mr Wright had a fight a month before the fatal crash. Pilot Sebastian Robinson and Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright on a crocodile egg collecting mission in January 2016. Photo: Supplied Mr Robinson said on January 26, he, Mr Wilson and fellow pilot Michael Burbidge were contracted for a crocodile egg collecting mission at the mouth of the Daly River, in the NT. The jury was shown photos of the chopper with an oncoming Wet Season storm looming in the background. Mr Robinson said he radioed Mr Burbidge to say 'it was too dangerous to continue, because the storm was huge', and they mutually agreed to head back into town. He said they went back to the Noonamah Tavern to watch the traditional Australia Day 'ute run' and have a 'beer and a feed'. Outback Wrangler Matt Wright and his wife Kaia Wright approaching the Supreme Court in Darwin. Picture: NewsWire / Pema Tamang Pakhrin Pilot Sebastian Robinson during filming of Kane Chenoweth's documentary Sky Cowboy in February 2022. Mr Robinson said Mr Wright called him 'very hostile and abusive', telling the young pilot 'What the f--k are youse doing back? Egg collecting's not meant to be f—king easy'. 'You sit out there, you f--king ... you wait the weather out. You f--king deal with it,' Mr Wright allegedly said. The jury has previously heard Mr Wright was not able to take part in egg collecting missions in early 2022 because he was an 'anti-vaxxer'. 'I told him to get f--ked, get vaccinated and fly his own helicopter,' Mr Robinson said on Friday. In a group chat with Mr Burbidge and Mr Wilson, the young pilot alleged Mr Wright 'called us all bludgers' for pulling out of the dangerous conditions. The young pilot this contributed to his decision to leave Mr Wright's Helibrook, and he establishing his own company Arnhem Helicopters. Mr Wright sent Mr Robinson a message the next day saying he was 'sorry for blowing up'. The trial continues on Monday. Read related topics: Weather Zizi Averill Journalist Zizi Averill is the police and crime reporter for the NT News, based up in Darwin. She previously worked as a journalist in Bendigo, Victoria and Mackay, Queensland. @ZiziAverill Zizi Averill
The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
Taylor Swift fans warned of scammers trying to cash in after new album announced
Swifties have been warned to be alert for scammers trying to cash in on Taylor Swift's new album announcement using fake pre-orders, links to leaked downloads and dodgy merchandise to steal money from excited fans. Taylor Swift appeared on her boyfriend Travis Kelce's podcast on Wednesday to announce her upcoming album Life of a Showgirl, which is due to be released on October 3. The new album can be pre-ordered through Taylor Swift's website, but NAB has warned fans to watch out for scammers turning to Swiftie-mania for fast money. Swifties have been warned to be alert for scammers trying to cash in on Taylor Swifts new album announcement. Picture: NewsWire/ Ben Symons NAB Security Culture and Advisory head Tessa Bowles said the bank stopped and recovered close to $2m in scam payments each month. 'When excitement is high, criminals know fans will rush to make purchases, reminding people to stop, check and protect,' she said. 'Before you hand over your payment details, make sure you're paying for the real thing, not some imitation of a showgirl.' Ms Bowles said red flags to look out for were fake pre-order sites that mimicked Taylor's official store to steal payments or deliver nothing and links to leaked tracks that hid malware. She said scammers often promoted social media giveaways but were impersonators pretending to offer exclusive access in exchange for personal information or a fee or hijacked accounts pretending to sell spare merchandise. Taylor Swift's upcoming album Life of a Showgirl can be pre-ordered through her website, but authorities have warned fans to be wary of scammers trying to cash in on the announcement. (Republic Records via AP) Ms Bowles said fans should stay in their 'safe-ty era' by going to the official site and websites of trusted retailers. 'Criminals thrive on urgency and fear,' she said. 'If you see 'get in quick' or 'last chance offer' on something that sounds too good to be true, pause and double-check it first. 'Buying items through social media or online marketplaces always comes with a risk. If you decide to proceed with the purchase, do so with caution, checking whether the seller has a legitimate profile, other listings and reviews. 'Using PayID can also help reduce the risk of fraud or payments being sent to the wrong account as you can see the name of the person or business when paying. 'Be cautious of sellers asking you to pay with gift cards or cryptocurrencies.' More than 90,000 scams have been reported to ScamWatch tin 2025, resulting in Australians losing $147m so far this year.
