Reality TV star tried to hide flight hours, jury hears
The Outback Wrangler star's trial is underway in the Supreme Court in Darwin more than three years after his co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson died in the outback crash that left pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic.
They were on a mission to collect crocodile eggs along the King River in Arnhem Land.
Wright has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the February 2022 incident in the Northern Territory.
The Crown case is that Wright did not properly record helicopter flying hours and was concerned that crash investigators would uncover that, leading to charges against him and his helicopter company.
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC told the jury on Wednesday the charges did not relate to the cause of the accident and it's not alleged Wright was responsible for the crash, the death of Mr Wilson or Mr Robinson's injuries.
The jurors have been told part of the evidence would be covertly recorded conversations of Wright and others at his home and on his phone, using listening devices.
Mr Gullaci told jurors they would hear evidence that Wright tried to procure the diary, phone and pilot's logbook of Mr Robinson while the seriously injured pilot was in hospital in Brisbane.
Wright allegedly asked an associate to seek the documents and the phone from Mr Robinson's family and he reportedly visited a cottage where Mr Robinson lived to source documents.
"The prosecution case is that Wright was trying to get his hands on documents that might betray to investigators what was happening," Mr Gullaci said.
The trial before Acting Justice Allan Blow continues on Thursday and is expected to take three to five weeks.
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The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Patterson husband's poison fears pre-dated deadly lunch
Poisoned penne, toxic curry, a wrap and antifreeze-laced cookies are among the meals Erin Patterson's estranged husband claims she tried to kill him with. The new details, revealed for the first time on Friday, followed the triple murderer's failed bid to keep pre-trial evidence a secret to preserve her appeal rights. Patterson, 50, initially faced three attempted murder charges over allegations from Simon Patterson she'd been trying to poison him since 2021. The attempted murder charges were dropped by prosecutors after Justice Christopher Beale ruled Patterson should face them in a separate trial. Simon revealed the nature of the allegations during pre-trial hearings in 2024, which had been suppressed until a judge ruled in favour of open justice. "Open justice is a fundamental concern of our criminal justice jurisdiction," he told the Supreme Court in Melbourne. Patterson pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder charges of Simon, as well as the three charges of murder and one of attempted murder. Simon alleged Patterson had tried to poison him several times between 2021 and 2022. The first was a penne pasta she cooked him before leaving for a camping trip in November 2021. Simon said he vomited and spent five days in hospital. But the worst was allegedly after consuming a chicken korma curry Patterson made him, during a camping trip at Victoria's high country in late May 2022. "While Erin was preparing food, I was getting the fire going, so I didn't watch her prepare it," Simon told a pre-trial hearing. He began to feel unwell about midnight and was assessed at Mansfield Hospital the next day but discharged. In the days after he got home, Simon's condition worsened and he ended up in a coma and underwent surgery to remove a large portion of his bowel. In September 2022, he fell ill after eating a wrap Patterson prepared for him while they were camping together at Wilsons Promontory. He went to his GP, Christopher Ford, about the alleged poisonings and then had Patterson removed as his medical power of attorney. Dr Ford told a pre-trial hearing Simon was also apprehensive about eating cookies his daughter gave him, as he believed they might have been poisoned with antifreeze. He went on an interstate holiday and Dr Ford said Patterson asked if he had eaten the cookies. "He felt it was odd that she would be so focused asking about the cookies," Dr Ford told a pre-trial hearing. Other pre-trial evidence released for the first time included documents about poisoning found on devices police seized from Patterson's home. These included an appendix from a 2007 book titled Criminal Poisonings, which listed the colour, odour, taste and lethal dose of poisons. Another piece of evidence, a Facebook post to a poisons page, was not shown to the jury. "My cat chewed on this mushroom just now," the post said. "He is having a vomit. Was in grassland near trees, I'm in Victoria Australia." None of this information has been proven or tested before a jury because it was ruled out of the triple murder trial. Patterson was found guilty by a jury of the murder of Simon's parents, Don and Gail, 70, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with the attempted murder of her husband Ian Wilkinson. The jury found Patterson deliberately poisoned her four lunch guests in July 2023 by serving them death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons. Patterson will face a two-day pre-sentence hearing later in August, during which she will listen to statements from the Pattersons and Wilkinsons. The plea hearing is on August 25 and 26. Patterson will have 28 days to appeal after she is sentenced. Poisoned penne, toxic curry, a wrap and antifreeze-laced cookies are among the meals Erin Patterson's estranged husband claims she tried to kill him with. The new details, revealed for the first time on Friday, followed the triple murderer's failed bid to keep pre-trial evidence a secret to preserve her appeal rights. Patterson, 50, initially faced three attempted murder charges over allegations from Simon Patterson she'd been trying to poison him since 2021. The attempted murder charges were dropped by prosecutors after Justice Christopher Beale ruled Patterson should face them in a separate trial. Simon revealed the nature of the allegations during pre-trial hearings in 2024, which had been suppressed until a judge ruled in favour of open justice. "Open justice is a fundamental concern of our criminal justice jurisdiction," he told the Supreme Court in Melbourne. Patterson pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder charges of Simon, as well as the three charges of murder and one of attempted murder. Simon alleged Patterson had tried to poison him several times between 2021 and 2022. The first was a penne pasta she cooked him before leaving for a camping trip in November 2021. Simon said he vomited and spent five days in hospital. But the worst was allegedly after consuming a chicken korma curry Patterson made him, during a camping trip at Victoria's high country in late May 2022. "While Erin was preparing food, I was getting the fire going, so I didn't watch her prepare it," Simon told a pre-trial hearing. He began to feel unwell about midnight and was assessed at Mansfield Hospital the next day but discharged. In the days after he got home, Simon's condition worsened and he ended up in a coma and underwent surgery to remove a large portion of his bowel. In September 2022, he fell ill after eating a wrap Patterson prepared for him while they were camping together at Wilsons Promontory. He went to his GP, Christopher Ford, about the alleged poisonings and then had Patterson removed as his medical power of attorney. Dr Ford told a pre-trial hearing Simon was also apprehensive about eating cookies his daughter gave him, as he believed they might have been poisoned with antifreeze. He went on an interstate holiday and Dr Ford said Patterson asked if he had eaten the cookies. "He felt it was odd that she would be so focused asking about the cookies," Dr Ford told a pre-trial hearing. Other pre-trial evidence released for the first time included documents about poisoning found on devices police seized from Patterson's home. These included an appendix from a 2007 book titled Criminal Poisonings, which listed the colour, odour, taste and lethal dose of poisons. Another piece of evidence, a Facebook post to a poisons page, was not shown to the jury. "My cat chewed on this mushroom just now," the post said. "He is having a vomit. Was in grassland near trees, I'm in Victoria Australia." None of this information has been proven or tested before a jury because it was ruled out of the triple murder trial. Patterson was found guilty by a jury of the murder of Simon's parents, Don and Gail, 70, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with the attempted murder of her husband Ian Wilkinson. The jury found Patterson deliberately poisoned her four lunch guests in July 2023 by serving them death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons. Patterson will face a two-day pre-sentence hearing later in August, during which she will listen to statements from the Pattersons and Wilkinsons. The plea hearing is on August 25 and 26. Patterson will have 28 days to appeal after she is sentenced. Poisoned penne, toxic curry, a wrap and antifreeze-laced cookies are among the meals Erin Patterson's estranged husband claims she tried to kill him with. The new details, revealed for the first time on Friday, followed the triple murderer's failed bid to keep pre-trial evidence a secret to preserve her appeal rights. Patterson, 50, initially faced three attempted murder charges over allegations from Simon Patterson she'd been trying to poison him since 2021. The attempted murder charges were dropped by prosecutors after Justice Christopher Beale ruled Patterson should face them in a separate trial. Simon revealed the nature of the allegations during pre-trial hearings in 2024, which had been suppressed until a judge ruled in favour of open justice. "Open justice is a fundamental concern of our criminal justice jurisdiction," he told the Supreme Court in Melbourne. Patterson pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder charges of Simon, as well as the three charges of murder and one of attempted murder. Simon alleged Patterson had tried to poison him several times between 2021 and 2022. The first was a penne pasta she cooked him before leaving for a camping trip in November 2021. Simon said he vomited and spent five days in hospital. But the worst was allegedly after consuming a chicken korma curry Patterson made him, during a camping trip at Victoria's high country in late May 2022. "While Erin was preparing food, I was getting the fire going, so I didn't watch her prepare it," Simon told a pre-trial hearing. He began to feel unwell about midnight and was assessed at Mansfield Hospital the next day but discharged. In the days after he got home, Simon's condition worsened and he ended up in a coma and underwent surgery to remove a large portion of his bowel. In September 2022, he fell ill after eating a wrap Patterson prepared for him while they were camping together at Wilsons Promontory. He went to his GP, Christopher Ford, about the alleged poisonings and then had Patterson removed as his medical power of attorney. Dr Ford told a pre-trial hearing Simon was also apprehensive about eating cookies his daughter gave him, as he believed they might have been poisoned with antifreeze. He went on an interstate holiday and Dr Ford said Patterson asked if he had eaten the cookies. "He felt it was odd that she would be so focused asking about the cookies," Dr Ford told a pre-trial hearing. Other pre-trial evidence released for the first time included documents about poisoning found on devices police seized from Patterson's home. These included an appendix from a 2007 book titled Criminal Poisonings, which listed the colour, odour, taste and lethal dose of poisons. Another piece of evidence, a Facebook post to a poisons page, was not shown to the jury. "My cat chewed on this mushroom just now," the post said. "He is having a vomit. Was in grassland near trees, I'm in Victoria Australia." None of this information has been proven or tested before a jury because it was ruled out of the triple murder trial. Patterson was found guilty by a jury of the murder of Simon's parents, Don and Gail, 70, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with the attempted murder of her husband Ian Wilkinson. The jury found Patterson deliberately poisoned her four lunch guests in July 2023 by serving them death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons. Patterson will face a two-day pre-sentence hearing later in August, during which she will listen to statements from the Pattersons and Wilkinsons. The plea hearing is on August 25 and 26. Patterson will have 28 days to appeal after she is sentenced. Poisoned penne, toxic curry, a wrap and antifreeze-laced cookies are among the meals Erin Patterson's estranged husband claims she tried to kill him with. The new details, revealed for the first time on Friday, followed the triple murderer's failed bid to keep pre-trial evidence a secret to preserve her appeal rights. Patterson, 50, initially faced three attempted murder charges over allegations from Simon Patterson she'd been trying to poison him since 2021. The attempted murder charges were dropped by prosecutors after Justice Christopher Beale ruled Patterson should face them in a separate trial. Simon revealed the nature of the allegations during pre-trial hearings in 2024, which had been suppressed until a judge ruled in favour of open justice. "Open justice is a fundamental concern of our criminal justice jurisdiction," he told the Supreme Court in Melbourne. Patterson pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder charges of Simon, as well as the three charges of murder and one of attempted murder. Simon alleged Patterson had tried to poison him several times between 2021 and 2022. The first was a penne pasta she cooked him before leaving for a camping trip in November 2021. Simon said he vomited and spent five days in hospital. But the worst was allegedly after consuming a chicken korma curry Patterson made him, during a camping trip at Victoria's high country in late May 2022. "While Erin was preparing food, I was getting the fire going, so I didn't watch her prepare it," Simon told a pre-trial hearing. He began to feel unwell about midnight and was assessed at Mansfield Hospital the next day but discharged. In the days after he got home, Simon's condition worsened and he ended up in a coma and underwent surgery to remove a large portion of his bowel. In September 2022, he fell ill after eating a wrap Patterson prepared for him while they were camping together at Wilsons Promontory. He went to his GP, Christopher Ford, about the alleged poisonings and then had Patterson removed as his medical power of attorney. Dr Ford told a pre-trial hearing Simon was also apprehensive about eating cookies his daughter gave him, as he believed they might have been poisoned with antifreeze. He went on an interstate holiday and Dr Ford said Patterson asked if he had eaten the cookies. "He felt it was odd that she would be so focused asking about the cookies," Dr Ford told a pre-trial hearing. Other pre-trial evidence released for the first time included documents about poisoning found on devices police seized from Patterson's home. These included an appendix from a 2007 book titled Criminal Poisonings, which listed the colour, odour, taste and lethal dose of poisons. Another piece of evidence, a Facebook post to a poisons page, was not shown to the jury. "My cat chewed on this mushroom just now," the post said. "He is having a vomit. Was in grassland near trees, I'm in Victoria Australia." None of this information has been proven or tested before a jury because it was ruled out of the triple murder trial. Patterson was found guilty by a jury of the murder of Simon's parents, Don and Gail, 70, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with the attempted murder of her husband Ian Wilkinson. The jury found Patterson deliberately poisoned her four lunch guests in July 2023 by serving them death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons. Patterson will face a two-day pre-sentence hearing later in August, during which she will listen to statements from the Pattersons and Wilkinsons. The plea hearing is on August 25 and 26. Patterson will have 28 days to appeal after she is sentenced.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Felt like forever': pilot details crash scene at trial
A bush pilot says he can't recall helping reality TV star Matt Wright look under the dashboard of a helicopter that had just crashed, killing Outback Wrangler's Chris "Willow" Wilson. Michael Burbidge, pilot and director of Remote Helicopters, gave evidence at Wright's trial in the Supreme Court in Darwin on Friday. The Crown has alleged Wright wanted to look behind the console to check if the Hobbs flight-hour recording meter was disconnected. It's alleged Wright and his pilots regularly disconnected the meters to extend helicopter flying hours beyond official thresholds and falsified logbooks and maintenance releases. Mr Wilson was in a sling under a helicopter on a crocodile egg collecting mission when it crashed on February 28, 2022, killing him and injuring pilot Sebastian Robinson, who is now a paraplegic. Wright has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the February 2022 crash in a remote part of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. The crown case is that Wright did not properly record helicopter flying hours and was concerned crash investigators would uncover the issue. Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC has told the jury the charges did not relate to the cause of the accident and it was not alleged Wright was responsible for the crash or death. Mr Burbidge, flying his own helicopter for egg collecting, was first at the crash scene after contact was lost with Mr Robinson's chopper. He told the jury he landed near the crash site to find Mr Wilson dead and Mr Robinson critically injured. He said he was on the scene for maybe an hour before other pilots and egg collectors arrived but "it felt like forever". Wright later flew in on his chopper with then police officer Neil Mellon, who removed items from Mr Wilson's body, including his phone and a handgun. Mr Burbidge said he was given the mobile and said to Mr Mellon "Dani doesn't need to see what's on the phone", referring to Mr Wilson's partner Dani Wilson. He agreed he had "ditched" the phone on his way home. Mr Burbidge told the court he was later charged and fined for disposing of the phone after pleading guilty. He said he had no recollection of inspecting the crashed chopper's fuel tank or detaching the console with Wright. He said he did not disconnect Hobbs meters, but he had heard of the practice. The court was played a covertly recorded phone call in which Mr Burbidge told Wright he had heard there had been "shit written" in a chopper's logbook saying "clock found disconnected again". Mr Burbidge told Mr Gullaci the August 2022 call was just between friends about a rumour and he was concerned about putting the records right. Defence barrister David Edwardson KC has told the jury Wright had engaged in disconnecting Hobbs meters and it was common practice in the NT helicopter industry. The practice is said by the prosecution to be the motive for his client's alleged offending but Wright "emphatically denied" it, Mr Edwardson said. Timothy Luck, who worked for Wright in 2022 as an egg collector, told the court on Friday he had flown in Wright's choppers that had their Hobbs meters disconnected. Mr Luck said he had once seen Mr Robinson working under a helicopter's dashboard to disconnect the meter as Mr Wilson jokingly pretended to take a photograph of him. The court has heard disputed evidence about whether the helicopter had run out of fuel when it crashed but Mr Luck, who was on the same egg-collecting mission, said he couldn't believe that. "I know that that helicopter didn't run out of fuel ... because I filled that to the top about 20 minutes prior," he said. Mr Edwardson said Wright "emphatically denied" trying to get Mr Robinson to falsify flight records or telling an associate to "torch" a maintenance release. The trial before acting Justice Allan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks. A bush pilot says he can't recall helping reality TV star Matt Wright look under the dashboard of a helicopter that had just crashed, killing Outback Wrangler's Chris "Willow" Wilson. Michael Burbidge, pilot and director of Remote Helicopters, gave evidence at Wright's trial in the Supreme Court in Darwin on Friday. The Crown has alleged Wright wanted to look behind the console to check if the Hobbs flight-hour recording meter was disconnected. It's alleged Wright and his pilots regularly disconnected the meters to extend helicopter flying hours beyond official thresholds and falsified logbooks and maintenance releases. Mr Wilson was in a sling under a helicopter on a crocodile egg collecting mission when it crashed on February 28, 2022, killing him and injuring pilot Sebastian Robinson, who is now a paraplegic. Wright has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the February 2022 crash in a remote part of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. The crown case is that Wright did not properly record helicopter flying hours and was concerned crash investigators would uncover the issue. Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC has told the jury the charges did not relate to the cause of the accident and it was not alleged Wright was responsible for the crash or death. Mr Burbidge, flying his own helicopter for egg collecting, was first at the crash scene after contact was lost with Mr Robinson's chopper. He told the jury he landed near the crash site to find Mr Wilson dead and Mr Robinson critically injured. He said he was on the scene for maybe an hour before other pilots and egg collectors arrived but "it felt like forever". Wright later flew in on his chopper with then police officer Neil Mellon, who removed items from Mr Wilson's body, including his phone and a handgun. Mr Burbidge said he was given the mobile and said to Mr Mellon "Dani doesn't need to see what's on the phone", referring to Mr Wilson's partner Dani Wilson. He agreed he had "ditched" the phone on his way home. Mr Burbidge told the court he was later charged and fined for disposing of the phone after pleading guilty. He said he had no recollection of inspecting the crashed chopper's fuel tank or detaching the console with Wright. He said he did not disconnect Hobbs meters, but he had heard of the practice. The court was played a covertly recorded phone call in which Mr Burbidge told Wright he had heard there had been "shit written" in a chopper's logbook saying "clock found disconnected again". Mr Burbidge told Mr Gullaci the August 2022 call was just between friends about a rumour and he was concerned about putting the records right. Defence barrister David Edwardson KC has told the jury Wright had engaged in disconnecting Hobbs meters and it was common practice in the NT helicopter industry. The practice is said by the prosecution to be the motive for his client's alleged offending but Wright "emphatically denied" it, Mr Edwardson said. Timothy Luck, who worked for Wright in 2022 as an egg collector, told the court on Friday he had flown in Wright's choppers that had their Hobbs meters disconnected. Mr Luck said he had once seen Mr Robinson working under a helicopter's dashboard to disconnect the meter as Mr Wilson jokingly pretended to take a photograph of him. The court has heard disputed evidence about whether the helicopter had run out of fuel when it crashed but Mr Luck, who was on the same egg-collecting mission, said he couldn't believe that. "I know that that helicopter didn't run out of fuel ... because I filled that to the top about 20 minutes prior," he said. Mr Edwardson said Wright "emphatically denied" trying to get Mr Robinson to falsify flight records or telling an associate to "torch" a maintenance release. The trial before acting Justice Allan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks. A bush pilot says he can't recall helping reality TV star Matt Wright look under the dashboard of a helicopter that had just crashed, killing Outback Wrangler's Chris "Willow" Wilson. Michael Burbidge, pilot and director of Remote Helicopters, gave evidence at Wright's trial in the Supreme Court in Darwin on Friday. The Crown has alleged Wright wanted to look behind the console to check if the Hobbs flight-hour recording meter was disconnected. It's alleged Wright and his pilots regularly disconnected the meters to extend helicopter flying hours beyond official thresholds and falsified logbooks and maintenance releases. Mr Wilson was in a sling under a helicopter on a crocodile egg collecting mission when it crashed on February 28, 2022, killing him and injuring pilot Sebastian Robinson, who is now a paraplegic. Wright has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the February 2022 crash in a remote part of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. The crown case is that Wright did not properly record helicopter flying hours and was concerned crash investigators would uncover the issue. Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC has told the jury the charges did not relate to the cause of the accident and it was not alleged Wright was responsible for the crash or death. Mr Burbidge, flying his own helicopter for egg collecting, was first at the crash scene after contact was lost with Mr Robinson's chopper. He told the jury he landed near the crash site to find Mr Wilson dead and Mr Robinson critically injured. He said he was on the scene for maybe an hour before other pilots and egg collectors arrived but "it felt like forever". Wright later flew in on his chopper with then police officer Neil Mellon, who removed items from Mr Wilson's body, including his phone and a handgun. Mr Burbidge said he was given the mobile and said to Mr Mellon "Dani doesn't need to see what's on the phone", referring to Mr Wilson's partner Dani Wilson. He agreed he had "ditched" the phone on his way home. Mr Burbidge told the court he was later charged and fined for disposing of the phone after pleading guilty. He said he had no recollection of inspecting the crashed chopper's fuel tank or detaching the console with Wright. He said he did not disconnect Hobbs meters, but he had heard of the practice. The court was played a covertly recorded phone call in which Mr Burbidge told Wright he had heard there had been "shit written" in a chopper's logbook saying "clock found disconnected again". Mr Burbidge told Mr Gullaci the August 2022 call was just between friends about a rumour and he was concerned about putting the records right. Defence barrister David Edwardson KC has told the jury Wright had engaged in disconnecting Hobbs meters and it was common practice in the NT helicopter industry. The practice is said by the prosecution to be the motive for his client's alleged offending but Wright "emphatically denied" it, Mr Edwardson said. Timothy Luck, who worked for Wright in 2022 as an egg collector, told the court on Friday he had flown in Wright's choppers that had their Hobbs meters disconnected. Mr Luck said he had once seen Mr Robinson working under a helicopter's dashboard to disconnect the meter as Mr Wilson jokingly pretended to take a photograph of him. The court has heard disputed evidence about whether the helicopter had run out of fuel when it crashed but Mr Luck, who was on the same egg-collecting mission, said he couldn't believe that. "I know that that helicopter didn't run out of fuel ... because I filled that to the top about 20 minutes prior," he said. Mr Edwardson said Wright "emphatically denied" trying to get Mr Robinson to falsify flight records or telling an associate to "torch" a maintenance release. The trial before acting Justice Allan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks. A bush pilot says he can't recall helping reality TV star Matt Wright look under the dashboard of a helicopter that had just crashed, killing Outback Wrangler's Chris "Willow" Wilson. Michael Burbidge, pilot and director of Remote Helicopters, gave evidence at Wright's trial in the Supreme Court in Darwin on Friday. The Crown has alleged Wright wanted to look behind the console to check if the Hobbs flight-hour recording meter was disconnected. It's alleged Wright and his pilots regularly disconnected the meters to extend helicopter flying hours beyond official thresholds and falsified logbooks and maintenance releases. Mr Wilson was in a sling under a helicopter on a crocodile egg collecting mission when it crashed on February 28, 2022, killing him and injuring pilot Sebastian Robinson, who is now a paraplegic. Wright has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the February 2022 crash in a remote part of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. The crown case is that Wright did not properly record helicopter flying hours and was concerned crash investigators would uncover the issue. Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC has told the jury the charges did not relate to the cause of the accident and it was not alleged Wright was responsible for the crash or death. Mr Burbidge, flying his own helicopter for egg collecting, was first at the crash scene after contact was lost with Mr Robinson's chopper. He told the jury he landed near the crash site to find Mr Wilson dead and Mr Robinson critically injured. He said he was on the scene for maybe an hour before other pilots and egg collectors arrived but "it felt like forever". Wright later flew in on his chopper with then police officer Neil Mellon, who removed items from Mr Wilson's body, including his phone and a handgun. Mr Burbidge said he was given the mobile and said to Mr Mellon "Dani doesn't need to see what's on the phone", referring to Mr Wilson's partner Dani Wilson. He agreed he had "ditched" the phone on his way home. Mr Burbidge told the court he was later charged and fined for disposing of the phone after pleading guilty. He said he had no recollection of inspecting the crashed chopper's fuel tank or detaching the console with Wright. He said he did not disconnect Hobbs meters, but he had heard of the practice. The court was played a covertly recorded phone call in which Mr Burbidge told Wright he had heard there had been "shit written" in a chopper's logbook saying "clock found disconnected again". Mr Burbidge told Mr Gullaci the August 2022 call was just between friends about a rumour and he was concerned about putting the records right. Defence barrister David Edwardson KC has told the jury Wright had engaged in disconnecting Hobbs meters and it was common practice in the NT helicopter industry. The practice is said by the prosecution to be the motive for his client's alleged offending but Wright "emphatically denied" it, Mr Edwardson said. Timothy Luck, who worked for Wright in 2022 as an egg collector, told the court on Friday he had flown in Wright's choppers that had their Hobbs meters disconnected. Mr Luck said he had once seen Mr Robinson working under a helicopter's dashboard to disconnect the meter as Mr Wilson jokingly pretended to take a photograph of him. The court has heard disputed evidence about whether the helicopter had run out of fuel when it crashed but Mr Luck, who was on the same egg-collecting mission, said he couldn't believe that. "I know that that helicopter didn't run out of fuel ... because I filled that to the top about 20 minutes prior," he said. Mr Edwardson said Wright "emphatically denied" trying to get Mr Robinson to falsify flight records or telling an associate to "torch" a maintenance release. The trial before acting Justice Allan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks.
The Australian
4 hours ago
- The Australian
Husband feared Australia's mushroom killer had poisoned him before
Australia's recently convicted mushroom murderer also tried to poison her husband with bolognese pasta and chicken korma curry, according to testimony aired Friday after a suppression order lapsed. Home cook Erin Patterson was found guilty in July of murdering her husband's parents and elderly aunt in 2023, lacing their beef Wellington lunch with lethal death cap mushrooms. A series of potentially damning allegations about Patterson's behaviour in the lead-up to the meal were withheld from the jury to give the mother-of-two a fair trial. Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale on Friday rejected an application to keep these allegations secret. Patterson tried to kill her estranged husband Simon on three occasions between 2021 and 2022, police alleged in one of the major claims not heard during the trial. She was accused of serving him poisoned dishes of pasta bolognese, chicken curry and a vegetable wrap, according to freshly released evidence. Simon told a pre-trial hearing in October last year how Patterson had asked him to taste test a batch of curries she had made. "I remember Erin saying that the purpose of the taste test was so she could, I guess, customise future curry production for our respective tastes," he said in testimony suppressed until now. He later fell ill after eating a mild chicken korma served by Patterson on a camping trip in 2022. "At first I felt hot, especially in my head, and that led to feeling nauseous and then that led to me quite suddenly needing to vomit," he said. Simon eventually fell into a coma before receiving life-saving surgery to remove a section of his bowel. He later told doctor Christopher Ford that he had come to suspect Patterson might be deliberately poisoning him. He became worried when Patterson offered him a batch of homemade cookies, Ford said. "Simon was apprehensive about eating the cookies, as he felt they may be poisoned," the doctor told a pre-trial hearing last year. "He reported to me that while they were away, Erin called several times and enquired about whether he had eaten any of the cookies." When his parents fell gravely ill after eating at Patterson's house, Simon would regretfully confide those fears to his family. "He wanted to tell us that he had suspected his own illnesses had been a deliberate act," cousin Ruth Dubois told a pre-trial hearing. "He had stopped eating food that Erin had prepared, because he suspected that she might have been messing with it. "And that he was really sorry that he hadn't told our family." Prosecutors dropped those charges before the start of Patterson's trial, with tight restrictions preventing media from revealing any details. - Lethal fungus - Patterson hosted an intimate meal in July 2023 that started with good-natured banter and earnest prayer -- but ended with three guests dead. A 12-person jury found the 50-year-old guilty of murdering Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as his aunt Heather Wilkinson. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather's husband Ian, a well-known pastor at the local Baptist church. Simon had been invited to that lunch as well, but pulled out because he felt "uncomfortable". At the time, Patterson's relationship with Simon was starting to turn sour. The pair -- long estranged but still legally married -- had been fighting over Simon's child support contributions. Patterson's trial drew podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in the state of Victoria better known for prize-winning roses. Newspapers from New York to New Delhi followed every twist of what many now simply call the "mushroom murders". Throughout a trial lasting more than two months, Patterson maintained the beef-and-pastry dish was accidentally poisoned with death cap mushrooms, the world's most-lethal fungus. Death cap mushrooms are easily mistaken for other edible varieties, and reportedly possess a sweet taste that belies their potent toxicity. Patterson will return to court on August 25 for hearings that will determine how long she spends behind bars. Her legal team has 28 days after sentencing to appeal both her criminal convictions and her sentence. sft/cwl
