logo
Matt Wright trial: Pilot's alleged spray at boss over stormy weather egg collection request

Matt Wright trial: Pilot's alleged spray at boss over stormy weather egg collection request

News.com.au2 days ago
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.
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'.
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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Inside the fringe groups fighting a 'quasi civil war' with self-styled sheriffs and their own court
Inside the fringe groups fighting a 'quasi civil war' with self-styled sheriffs and their own court

ABC News

time2 minutes ago

  • ABC News

Inside the fringe groups fighting a 'quasi civil war' with self-styled sheriffs and their own court

They gather in a quiet Perth neighbourhood, wearing matching purple polo shirts and lanyards identifying them as "Common Law Sheriff" and "Guardian of the Law". These sheriffs, who look like someone's neighbour, are sworn to enforce the laws of their court. A court that has "convicted" a prime minister, "sentenced" premiers, and "ruled" on a child protection case. But this court has no legal authority, it's run by the Sovereign Peoples Assembly of Western Australia (SPAWA). The sheriffs seem cautious. Wary of being dismissed as a cult, they've never spoken to mainstream media before. Their spiritual guide, crown Leith Masters, speaks with meditative conviction, describing their organisation as, "The gathering of people to enact law". "[The government] is not the authority, it's the public servant. We're the authority, the people are the authority, working in law," she says. Often described as sovereign citizens, SPAWA and groups like it believe the government is illegitimate and people should live under a natural, God-given law that is superior to any of the rules that govern society. Using pseudolaw — a collection of legal-sounding concepts and arguments that have no basis in actual law — they target what they see as oppressive institutions. Two of the group's sheriffs were recently jailed for contempt of court. The sentencing judge described the group's ideology as "extremely dangerous", adding that "dangerous ideas breed dangerous people". Leith Masters insists they aren't a radical movement and are nothing to be frightened of. SPAWA is just one of a growing coalition of groups engaged in what one adherent described as a "quasi civil war". Many dismiss the label "sovereign citizens", but during COVID these groups were united by their rejection of the legitimacy of governments and courts. They believe a new age is coming that will put regular people at the top of the social hierarchy. It's playing out across the country, with some people refusing to pay council rates, register cars, or carry licences; acts they frame as a fight against tyranny. Experts and judges warn that when people "pick and choose" which laws they obey, there's a risk the situation escalates from seemingly victimless civil disobedience to violence. SPAWA members believe their own court has superior authority over traditional courts because it is run by community members, not judges or lawyers. In 2022 they conducted their own jury trial and convicted former prime minister Scott Morrison, and every premier in Australia who was involved in the response to COVID-19, with a sentence of 30 years imprisonment. In video of the trial, one woman cries in celebration of the decision. SPAWA sheriff Alan Wallace says their trials aren't just symbolic. "They've come before a jury and it is serious … they've committed crimes," he says. "We heard the evidence as set out. There's no judges or magistrates in there. There's just an adjudicator. "When they are found guilty of a charge they could get a jail sentence or a fine. "We can't impose that at this stage because the police won't recognise our court orders. The only tools we have is psychological." SPAWA's court has also held a trial on children being removed from parents by the Department of Communities. When law professor David Heilpern was a magistrate in regional NSW he was sentenced to a term of imprisonment by a different sovereign citizen group. "I was sentenced to five years jail by some sort of common law court, and I was served with those documents telling me that I was imprisoned … I suppose I really just treated it as theatre," he says. "On the other hand, where they make orders for the return of children that the family court have placed, then that has consequences for those much less protected … [by] high walls and security systems." "Psychological tools" are not the only tactic deployed by these groups. When SPAWA's court or grand jury delivers a judgment, it is the duty of their common law sheriffs to serve the resulting orders to the relevant parties. With clipboard and documents in hand a group of sheriffs approach the offices of Western Australia's land titles authority, Landgate. The documents concern mortgages held by farmers. "We've had up to 40 or 50 jurors vote unanimously on these orders around Australia," Donna says. When asked about the outcomes she hopes to achieve, she says: "Farmers get their farms back." Some time later, Donna emerges smiling. Landgate took the documents. "Just taking them and accepting them and having them lodged and put on file I think is a good win." Landgate later told Four Corners it reviewed the roughly 200 pages and won't take any further action as it "is of the view that they do not disclose any legal merit". Donna says their action is part of a co-ordinated effort, with sheriffs across the country serving documents to a variety of courts, police stations and government bodies. These sheriffs are keen to emphasise that they do not want any kind of "scuffle" and they're peaceful. They smile at the suggestion that their group holds dangerous ideologies, or when asked about the FBI's classification of sovereign citizens as domestic terrorists. Mandy Seneno says that's just spin attempting to discredit the movement "At the end of the day, law is the superior jurisdiction and that is going to win out eventually," she says. Many of these groups converged during the COVID era, when perceived government overreach and mandates prompted them to question the legitimacy of the entire legal and governmental framework underpinning society. One unifying event was the 2022 anti-vaccine mandate Convoy to Canberra — which Four Corners has confirmed is the largest protest ever held on the steps of parliament. A recurring theme in our conversations with members of these groups is the fear of being disarmed. In some states police have revoked the gun licences of people identified as having sovereign citizen beliefs, fuelling suspicions in the movement that authorities are seeking greater control over the population. "Who's got all the guns? No time in history has a population been disarmed [where there] has there not been genocide. And this is what they're doing here now," SPAWA sheriff Alan Wallace says. His claim that disarming a population inevitably leads to genocide is a US National Rifle Association talking point which is disputed by historians. Watch as Four Corners embeds with key figures in the movement that's testing the limits of Australian law, tonight from 8:30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview. Associate professor of law at the University of South Australia, Joe McIntyre has been charting the rise of pseudolaw. He worries about where it ends "once you start feeling angry and you start saying, 'we can pick and choose which laws we obey.'" "People who are angry and willing to choose which laws to obey or not, do start making death threats. They do start threatening people. We have seen violence internationally." In the US, there have been a series of recent violent incidents fuelled by anti-government beliefs, including: the 2010 shooting of two police officers during a traffic stop in Arkansas; the 2014 heavily armed assault on a Georgia courthouse; and last year alone, five shootouts with police. In Australia, these groups have moved beyond being occasional administrative headaches and now rank among the judiciary's top concerns, according to experts Four Corners spoke to. David Heilpern recalls the first time he encountered pseudolaw arguments in his courtroom. "A smattering of people came before me talking what I thought was an entirely different legal language, which was along the lines of 'I am not that person. You must capitalise my name, you have no authority. You didn't take an oath over right to a jury' and sort of a mishmash of what we now know as sovereign citizen approaches," he says. "I just was quite staggered and surprised. Where has this come from?" John Quaremba doesn't call himself a sovereign citizen, but he's using many of their arguments to wage what he calls "lawfare" against our courts. He rose to prominence in the so-called freedom movement during COVID and has amassed thousands of followers online. The one-time law student has signed a document which he believes cancels his legal status in the mainstream system. "I'm cancelling power of attorney of my legal persons and all relevant trade names back to the permanent domicile of the land and soil jurisdiction of Terra Australis, commonly known as the Commonwealth of Australia," he reads from the document. He says this allows him to live his life according to a set of principles he calls "common law". John tried, unsuccessfully, to use a range of legal and pseudolaw arguments when he represented himself in an Adelaide court last month. He was found guilty of a string of offences, including driving unlicensed, unregistered, uninsured and with someone else's plates on his car. It hasn't deterred him. From his houseboat he's set up the Self Represented Litigants Association to help other people represent themselves in court. "I think that my own process and experience being at the coalface, learning from all this … I'll be able to help thousands and thousands of Australians." David Heilpern says there is "absolutely no legitimacy to any of it". "That has been found by courts at every level and in every state in Australia, and at every level in every country in the world." These groups appear to be having some success at a local government level — pushing their agenda, and bombarding councils with questions. Shayne "Cush" Allison is leading the charge in his corner of north-west Tasmania. A former councillor, Cush argues grassroots action targeting local councils is the most effective way to challenge the government. "You can enact a lot of changes if you have a fair council and proper debate. And people are voting on their community to start with and then their region and then their state rather than voting for an idealism of a government or an opposition or a party." A controversial symposium he held near Devonport last year called Unity in Community was described as a "sovereign citizen event" by the media. It's a label Cush rejects. "It's a total oxymoron, same as conspiracy theorist. It's just branding people names." Cush's primary aim seems to be increasing scrutiny of local council decisions, placing a significant burden on officials. "I'm just about integrity, accountability, transparency, regional sustainability." One council in the region estimated that responding to a single resident's 140 questions over a year cost nearly $14,000. Earlier this year, a motion which alleged that COVID vaccines are contaminated was moved at Kentish Council's AGM. Cush and his supporters backed the motion and it was passed by attendees 22 to 12. Kentish Mayor Kate Haberle told us decisions to do with vaccines are not a matter for council, and they're required to act as directed under the Public Health Act. Cush's strategy is part of a coordinated national effort. In Victoria, sovereign citizen linked groups have overwhelmed local governments with petitions and protests, forcing event cancellations and public bans at meetings. In Western Australia, groups have pressured over a dozen councils to ask state and federal governments to consider banning further COVID vaccines. Meanwhile, in New South Wales and Queensland, another sovereign citizen group has walked into council offices and police stations, declaring they no longer hold any jurisdiction. Dr McIntyre says these movements are "affecting our institutions of law and the efficacy of our law and therefore it's impacting upon our society". "All law is politics. All law is social. Law is how we order our society. Law is the device by which we pull together 30 million people to live in a small space." Mr Heilpern is still grappling with how the law, and our broader society, should treat these ideologies. "This is something that has occupied my mind a lot. What do we call it? What is the essence of it and is it justified to call it a trauma reaction? Is it justified to call it a cult? Is it justified to call it a delusion? "Myself, I think it really is akin to a cult … a complete delusion and exception of the reality that the rest of us in society accept. "Once people go down that rabbit hole it seems very, very hard for them to get out." Watch Four Corners' full investigation, Lawfare, tonight from 8:30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.

Gary Shteyngart, Jennifer Mills and Rhett Davis ask what's next
Gary Shteyngart, Jennifer Mills and Rhett Davis ask what's next

ABC News

timean hour ago

  • ABC News

Gary Shteyngart, Jennifer Mills and Rhett Davis ask what's next

Russian born US writer Gary Shteyngart imagines a future America with strong parallels to Russia in Vera, or Faith, Adelaide based author Jennifer Mills' latest novel Salvage rockets into space after ecological collapse, and Geelong author Rhett Davis on Aborescence about people who want to become trees. Gary Shteyngart is the Russian-born, American-based author of novels including Absurdistan, Super Sad True Love Story and Our Country Friends. His latest book Vera, or Faith, is about a precocious child living in near future America, where cars have attitude and equality is under threat. Gary talks about the worrying parallels between the USA and Russia and the precarious state of immigrants in the country. Jennifer Mills (Dyschronia and The Airways) is one of the most exciting experimental writers in Australia. Her latest novel, Salvage, is a propulsive novel about sisterhood, space and what happens after ecological collapse. She also talks about wanting her books to be of use to readers. And staying with the environmental theme, Geelong based author Rhett Davis's second book Arborescence continues his fascination with trees that featured in his debut, Hovering. Arborescence is about a movement of people who want to grow roots and become trees (and they do, in their billions)! It's also about the absurdity of modern-day life.

One man dead, another seriously injured in shooting outside Forest Lodge pub in Sydney's inner-city
One man dead, another seriously injured in shooting outside Forest Lodge pub in Sydney's inner-city

ABC News

time8 hours ago

  • ABC News

One man dead, another seriously injured in shooting outside Forest Lodge pub in Sydney's inner-city

One man has died and another has been seriously injured in a shooting outside a hotel in Sydney's inner-city. Police were called to The Harold Hotel on Ross Street in Forest Lodge about 6:40pm, following reports of a public place shooting. When officers arrived, they found two people had been shot multiple times by unknown people who fled in a car. Paramedics treated the two men at the scene, but one could not be saved. The other man was treated for gunshot wounds and was taken to hospital in a serious condition. Detectives have cordoned off part of the street with police tape, as a manhunt for the gunmen continues. Nearby resident Imogen said she heard about six "really loud bangs" but initially mistook them for fireworks. "I saw some people running across the road, so away from where the sound was coming from, and a few other people running up the road," she said. "It hasn't quite hit me yet. My family had just arrived to mine maybe 10 minutes earlier so to think they were walking at the same time [is] a bit scary." Ivan and Charlotte said they heard a number of shots. "There was probably eight to ten gunshots, and then a pause, and then another half dozen maybe," Ivan said. Charlotte said the man who was taken to hospital was conscious as paramedics treated him. "He'd been shot multiple times, maybe six times," Charlotte said. "He'd been shot in the neck, the chest, the abdomen, arms, legs, just everywhere." #moretocome

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store