Helicopter pilot Sebastian Robinson denies being 'raging cocaine junky' during trial of Outback Wrangler Matt Wright
Wright has pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice over his alleged actions following the chopper crash that killed his friend and Netflix co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson in February 2022.
Mr Robinson was flying the helicopter on the day of the crash and suffered life-altering injuries, including a permanent brain injury and a severed spinal cord that has left him a paraplegic.
The court had earlier heard allegations Mr Robinson was a 'party animal' and 'frequent user of cocaine'.
But when questioned by crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC, Mr Robinson said he had only used cocaine about 10 times in the five years before the fatal crash.
'Were you a raging cocaine junky Mr Robinson?' Mr Gullaci asked.
Mr Robinson replied: 'Not at all.'
He told the court that during seven years as a pilot he had never used cocaine within hours of flying or flown a helicopter while intoxicated.
Mr Robinson said he was aware cocaine metabolites had been found in his system after the crash.
He was also asked about police seizing his phone and downloading its contents.
'Would there be messages on that phone that would confirm your use of cocaine in the five years before the crash?' Mr Gullaci asked.
Mr Robinson replied: 'I would think so, yes.'
Mr Robinson was also asked about his usual practice when it came to the fuel management of helicopters.
He told the court the Robinson R44 helicopters, like the one he was flying on the day of the crash, had a warning light that came on when there was 18 litres of fuel left in the tank.
'The R44 has got a low fuel system in it so with approximately 18 litres left a light in the console will illuminate very brightly and that will mean you've got approximately 18 litres, which is 18 minutes, of fuel left," he said.
He said he had never seen the fuel light come on while flying.
If it did come on he said he would land the helicopter straight away.
Mr Robinson has been asked questions about the day of the fatal helicopter crash, but has told the court his memory is fuzzy and he only recalls glimpses of certain events.
He was shown a photograph taken in the helicopter by Mr Wilson on the morning of the crash showing the helicopter's main and auxiliary tanks were each at least three quarters full.
Mr Robinson agreed with Mr Gullaci that the helicopter would have had enough fuel to reach the crash site.
The trial before Justice Alan Blow continues.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
13 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Helicopter pilot Sebastian Robinson denies being 'raging cocaine junky' during trial of Outback Wrangler Matt Wright
Pilot Sebastian Robinson has admitted to occasional drug use but denied he is a 'raging cocaine junky' during the Supreme Court trial of crocodile wrangler Matt Wright. Wright has pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice over his alleged actions following the chopper crash that killed his friend and Netflix co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson in February 2022. Mr Robinson was flying the helicopter on the day of the crash and suffered life-altering injuries, including a permanent brain injury and a severed spinal cord that has left him a paraplegic. The court had earlier heard allegations Mr Robinson was a 'party animal' and 'frequent user of cocaine'. But when questioned by crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC, Mr Robinson said he had only used cocaine about 10 times in the five years before the fatal crash. 'Were you a raging cocaine junky Mr Robinson?' Mr Gullaci asked. Mr Robinson replied: 'Not at all.' He told the court that during seven years as a pilot he had never used cocaine within hours of flying or flown a helicopter while intoxicated. Mr Robinson said he was aware cocaine metabolites had been found in his system after the crash. He was also asked about police seizing his phone and downloading its contents. 'Would there be messages on that phone that would confirm your use of cocaine in the five years before the crash?' Mr Gullaci asked. Mr Robinson replied: 'I would think so, yes.' Mr Robinson was also asked about his usual practice when it came to the fuel management of helicopters. He told the court the Robinson R44 helicopters, like the one he was flying on the day of the crash, had a warning light that came on when there was 18 litres of fuel left in the tank. 'The R44 has got a low fuel system in it so with approximately 18 litres left a light in the console will illuminate very brightly and that will mean you've got approximately 18 litres, which is 18 minutes, of fuel left," he said. He said he had never seen the fuel light come on while flying. If it did come on he said he would land the helicopter straight away. Mr Robinson has been asked questions about the day of the fatal helicopter crash, but has told the court his memory is fuzzy and he only recalls glimpses of certain events. He was shown a photograph taken in the helicopter by Mr Wilson on the morning of the crash showing the helicopter's main and auxiliary tanks were each at least three quarters full. Mr Robinson agreed with Mr Gullaci that the helicopter would have had enough fuel to reach the crash site. The trial before Justice Alan Blow continues.
The Advertiser
14 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Young pilots idolised reality TV star, court told
A pilot panicked and lied to air crash investigators after a helicopter accident that killed Outback Wrangler co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson, a court has been told. Sebastian Robinson, who was left a paraplegic by the February 2022 crash in remote swampland in the Northern Territory, on Tuesday gave evidence in the trial of reality TV star Matt Wright. Wright has pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Prosecutors allege he was worried crash investigators would discover that flight-time meters were disconnected regularly to extend flying hours beyond official thresholds and paperwork was falsified. Mr Wilson was slung on a line below a chopper during a crocodile-egg collecting mission when he plunged to his death. The aircraft then crashed, seriously injuring Mr Robinson, who on Tuesday appeared by video link in a wheelchair. Questioned by crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC, the 32-year-old admitted lying to air crash investigators and NT Police about falsifying flight-hour records and disconnecting Hobbs meters. He said he was worried he would be blamed for the crash or that he would lose his pilot's licence. "Obviously I was panicking ... I was scared." Mr Robinson agreed he must have "intentionally disconnected" the sling line from the helicopter and Mr Wilson fell about 25 metres to the ground, as ascertained by air crash investigators. When asked what might have happened in the case of total engine failure if he had not released Mr Wilson, Mr Robinson said it would have been "catastrophic", with the helicopter crash-landing on top of his friend. Mr Robinson gave evidence Wright told his pilots to "pop the clock" on their machines so flight hours would go unrecorded and service checks could be put off. The Outback Wrangler star was looked up to by young pilots who readily followed his orders despite his failure to follow aviation rules, he said. At the time of the crash Mr Robinson was head of aircraft airworthiness and maintenance control for Wright's Helibrook company, but in name only. Wright, the chief pilot, made the decisions about aircraft flying hours and maintenance schedules, he said. Mr Robinson agreed disconnecting Hobbs flight-hour recording meters and falsifying paperwork to match was a "very common" practice at Helibrook, with Wright directing pilots to do so. "He'd say 'pop the clock for this trip'," Mr Robinson said, referring to disconnecting meters. When asked if he and other pilots obeyed Wright's instructions he replied: "Absolutely ... if he said jump I'd say how high". Wright was a major public figure, everyone wanted to work for him and young pilots wanted to please the TV star, Mr Robinson said. Mr Gullaci asked him if he could detail his injuries sustained in the crash. "I can but it obviously it makes me a little bit upset," Mr Robinson replied, saying he could not remember the crash. He listed fractures of his vertebrae resulting in a complete severance of his spinal cord, rendering him a paraplegic. Both his lungs were punctured, his left elbow and ankles were fractured and he suffered a traumatic brain injury that still causes him cognition problems and mood swings. "I definitely feel I'm a different person," he told the court. Mr Robinson admitted he had used cocaine about twice a year in the five years before the crash but he had not flown helicopters while intoxicated. "Are you a raging cocaine junkie Mr Robinson? Mr Gullaci asked. "Not at all," Mr Robinson replied. The charges against Wright do not relate to the cause of the accident and the prosecution does not allege he is responsible for either the crash, Mr Wilson's death or Mr Robinson's injuries. The trial continues. A pilot panicked and lied to air crash investigators after a helicopter accident that killed Outback Wrangler co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson, a court has been told. Sebastian Robinson, who was left a paraplegic by the February 2022 crash in remote swampland in the Northern Territory, on Tuesday gave evidence in the trial of reality TV star Matt Wright. Wright has pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Prosecutors allege he was worried crash investigators would discover that flight-time meters were disconnected regularly to extend flying hours beyond official thresholds and paperwork was falsified. Mr Wilson was slung on a line below a chopper during a crocodile-egg collecting mission when he plunged to his death. The aircraft then crashed, seriously injuring Mr Robinson, who on Tuesday appeared by video link in a wheelchair. Questioned by crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC, the 32-year-old admitted lying to air crash investigators and NT Police about falsifying flight-hour records and disconnecting Hobbs meters. He said he was worried he would be blamed for the crash or that he would lose his pilot's licence. "Obviously I was panicking ... I was scared." Mr Robinson agreed he must have "intentionally disconnected" the sling line from the helicopter and Mr Wilson fell about 25 metres to the ground, as ascertained by air crash investigators. When asked what might have happened in the case of total engine failure if he had not released Mr Wilson, Mr Robinson said it would have been "catastrophic", with the helicopter crash-landing on top of his friend. Mr Robinson gave evidence Wright told his pilots to "pop the clock" on their machines so flight hours would go unrecorded and service checks could be put off. The Outback Wrangler star was looked up to by young pilots who readily followed his orders despite his failure to follow aviation rules, he said. At the time of the crash Mr Robinson was head of aircraft airworthiness and maintenance control for Wright's Helibrook company, but in name only. Wright, the chief pilot, made the decisions about aircraft flying hours and maintenance schedules, he said. Mr Robinson agreed disconnecting Hobbs flight-hour recording meters and falsifying paperwork to match was a "very common" practice at Helibrook, with Wright directing pilots to do so. "He'd say 'pop the clock for this trip'," Mr Robinson said, referring to disconnecting meters. When asked if he and other pilots obeyed Wright's instructions he replied: "Absolutely ... if he said jump I'd say how high". Wright was a major public figure, everyone wanted to work for him and young pilots wanted to please the TV star, Mr Robinson said. Mr Gullaci asked him if he could detail his injuries sustained in the crash. "I can but it obviously it makes me a little bit upset," Mr Robinson replied, saying he could not remember the crash. He listed fractures of his vertebrae resulting in a complete severance of his spinal cord, rendering him a paraplegic. Both his lungs were punctured, his left elbow and ankles were fractured and he suffered a traumatic brain injury that still causes him cognition problems and mood swings. "I definitely feel I'm a different person," he told the court. Mr Robinson admitted he had used cocaine about twice a year in the five years before the crash but he had not flown helicopters while intoxicated. "Are you a raging cocaine junkie Mr Robinson? Mr Gullaci asked. "Not at all," Mr Robinson replied. The charges against Wright do not relate to the cause of the accident and the prosecution does not allege he is responsible for either the crash, Mr Wilson's death or Mr Robinson's injuries. The trial continues. A pilot panicked and lied to air crash investigators after a helicopter accident that killed Outback Wrangler co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson, a court has been told. Sebastian Robinson, who was left a paraplegic by the February 2022 crash in remote swampland in the Northern Territory, on Tuesday gave evidence in the trial of reality TV star Matt Wright. Wright has pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Prosecutors allege he was worried crash investigators would discover that flight-time meters were disconnected regularly to extend flying hours beyond official thresholds and paperwork was falsified. Mr Wilson was slung on a line below a chopper during a crocodile-egg collecting mission when he plunged to his death. The aircraft then crashed, seriously injuring Mr Robinson, who on Tuesday appeared by video link in a wheelchair. Questioned by crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC, the 32-year-old admitted lying to air crash investigators and NT Police about falsifying flight-hour records and disconnecting Hobbs meters. He said he was worried he would be blamed for the crash or that he would lose his pilot's licence. "Obviously I was panicking ... I was scared." Mr Robinson agreed he must have "intentionally disconnected" the sling line from the helicopter and Mr Wilson fell about 25 metres to the ground, as ascertained by air crash investigators. When asked what might have happened in the case of total engine failure if he had not released Mr Wilson, Mr Robinson said it would have been "catastrophic", with the helicopter crash-landing on top of his friend. Mr Robinson gave evidence Wright told his pilots to "pop the clock" on their machines so flight hours would go unrecorded and service checks could be put off. The Outback Wrangler star was looked up to by young pilots who readily followed his orders despite his failure to follow aviation rules, he said. At the time of the crash Mr Robinson was head of aircraft airworthiness and maintenance control for Wright's Helibrook company, but in name only. Wright, the chief pilot, made the decisions about aircraft flying hours and maintenance schedules, he said. Mr Robinson agreed disconnecting Hobbs flight-hour recording meters and falsifying paperwork to match was a "very common" practice at Helibrook, with Wright directing pilots to do so. "He'd say 'pop the clock for this trip'," Mr Robinson said, referring to disconnecting meters. When asked if he and other pilots obeyed Wright's instructions he replied: "Absolutely ... if he said jump I'd say how high". Wright was a major public figure, everyone wanted to work for him and young pilots wanted to please the TV star, Mr Robinson said. Mr Gullaci asked him if he could detail his injuries sustained in the crash. "I can but it obviously it makes me a little bit upset," Mr Robinson replied, saying he could not remember the crash. He listed fractures of his vertebrae resulting in a complete severance of his spinal cord, rendering him a paraplegic. Both his lungs were punctured, his left elbow and ankles were fractured and he suffered a traumatic brain injury that still causes him cognition problems and mood swings. "I definitely feel I'm a different person," he told the court. Mr Robinson admitted he had used cocaine about twice a year in the five years before the crash but he had not flown helicopters while intoxicated. "Are you a raging cocaine junkie Mr Robinson? Mr Gullaci asked. "Not at all," Mr Robinson replied. The charges against Wright do not relate to the cause of the accident and the prosecution does not allege he is responsible for either the crash, Mr Wilson's death or Mr Robinson's injuries. The trial continues. A pilot panicked and lied to air crash investigators after a helicopter accident that killed Outback Wrangler co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson, a court has been told. Sebastian Robinson, who was left a paraplegic by the February 2022 crash in remote swampland in the Northern Territory, on Tuesday gave evidence in the trial of reality TV star Matt Wright. Wright has pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Prosecutors allege he was worried crash investigators would discover that flight-time meters were disconnected regularly to extend flying hours beyond official thresholds and paperwork was falsified. Mr Wilson was slung on a line below a chopper during a crocodile-egg collecting mission when he plunged to his death. The aircraft then crashed, seriously injuring Mr Robinson, who on Tuesday appeared by video link in a wheelchair. Questioned by crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC, the 32-year-old admitted lying to air crash investigators and NT Police about falsifying flight-hour records and disconnecting Hobbs meters. He said he was worried he would be blamed for the crash or that he would lose his pilot's licence. "Obviously I was panicking ... I was scared." Mr Robinson agreed he must have "intentionally disconnected" the sling line from the helicopter and Mr Wilson fell about 25 metres to the ground, as ascertained by air crash investigators. When asked what might have happened in the case of total engine failure if he had not released Mr Wilson, Mr Robinson said it would have been "catastrophic", with the helicopter crash-landing on top of his friend. Mr Robinson gave evidence Wright told his pilots to "pop the clock" on their machines so flight hours would go unrecorded and service checks could be put off. The Outback Wrangler star was looked up to by young pilots who readily followed his orders despite his failure to follow aviation rules, he said. At the time of the crash Mr Robinson was head of aircraft airworthiness and maintenance control for Wright's Helibrook company, but in name only. Wright, the chief pilot, made the decisions about aircraft flying hours and maintenance schedules, he said. Mr Robinson agreed disconnecting Hobbs flight-hour recording meters and falsifying paperwork to match was a "very common" practice at Helibrook, with Wright directing pilots to do so. "He'd say 'pop the clock for this trip'," Mr Robinson said, referring to disconnecting meters. When asked if he and other pilots obeyed Wright's instructions he replied: "Absolutely ... if he said jump I'd say how high". Wright was a major public figure, everyone wanted to work for him and young pilots wanted to please the TV star, Mr Robinson said. Mr Gullaci asked him if he could detail his injuries sustained in the crash. "I can but it obviously it makes me a little bit upset," Mr Robinson replied, saying he could not remember the crash. He listed fractures of his vertebrae resulting in a complete severance of his spinal cord, rendering him a paraplegic. Both his lungs were punctured, his left elbow and ankles were fractured and he suffered a traumatic brain injury that still causes him cognition problems and mood swings. "I definitely feel I'm a different person," he told the court. Mr Robinson admitted he had used cocaine about twice a year in the five years before the crash but he had not flown helicopters while intoxicated. "Are you a raging cocaine junkie Mr Robinson? Mr Gullaci asked. "Not at all," Mr Robinson replied. The charges against Wright do not relate to the cause of the accident and the prosecution does not allege he is responsible for either the crash, Mr Wilson's death or Mr Robinson's injuries. The trial continues.
ABC News
14 hours ago
- ABC News
Child sex abuse survivor calls for urgent case management reform after his life was 'shattered'
A child sex abuse survivor has called on the courts and police across Australia to urgently reform the way cases like his are managed. South Australian Mike Worsman has delivered a victim impact statement in the ACT Supreme Court today describing the crimes against him as "monstrous". The man accused of the offences has pleaded guilty to five charges, including acts of indecency and rape, committed in Canberra in the 1990s. Mr Worsman was only 12 at the time of the offences. The court heard the man had threatened to kill him if he told anyone, as the attacks became increasingly violent. "He stopped only when I said, 'Kill me or stop'," Mr Worsman told the court. In a graphic account he said: "I will never be un-raped". "I will never know a life free from this pain," Mr Worsman said. "He shattered my existence. "His evil infected me." Mr Worsman had kept the abuse secret for more than 20 years. But then came a bombshell, when he discovered his abuser had sexually assaulted another child. The man spent several years in jail in South Australia for that offence, but has recently been released. Mr Worsman said the discovery another person had suffered at the hands of his abuser prompted him to go to police in 2019. But after gathering his courage — and taking part in a five hour interview — he was told by the officer involved he was in the wrong place. "He said, 'Oh, actually I shouldn't have been taking your statement here — the crimes first started in the ACT', and he then went on to say, 'Actually I'll send them the document next week'," Mr Worsman said in an interview after his court appearance. "Eighteen months later is how long it took him, me following up every month to say, 'Hey, have you sent that document that's about me being raped as a child over to the ACT?'" There was then a long wait while his abuser served the first sentence. But when it came to bringing the man to Canberra, there was another hurdle, with no legal avenue to extradite him. "He pleaded guilty on the 19th of June last year," Mr Worsman said. "Why couldn't he be sentenced a month after that via remote video link? "He was sentenced via remote video link for the other case." He said it had been an anxious wait between the man being released from South Australia, and the ACT court proceedings. "He was then allowed to be a free citizen and asked to get on a plane by [SA Police], thankfully he did, and then he's out in the community here," Mr Worsman said. He has also called for tough minimum sentences for such offenders, to protect the community. The offender will be sentenced on Thursday.
