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The trial of celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright starts this week. Here's what we know
The trial of celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright starts this week. Here's what we know

ABC News

time3 days ago

  • ABC News

The trial of celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright starts this week. Here's what we know

Three years ago, a helicopter carrying television personality Chris "Willow" Wilson and pilot Sebastian Robinson crashed in remote Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. Mr Wilson, 34, was killed, leaving behind his wife, Danielle Wilson, and their two young children. Mr Robinson, who was 28 at the time, survived, but suffered permanent injuries. This week, the criminal trial of the victim's close friend and Outback Wrangler co-star, Matthew Wright, begins in the NT Supreme Court in Darwin. Mr Wright is facing three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, in relation to the aftermath of the accident. The charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. Mr Wright first rose to stardom on National Geographic's Outback Wrangler — a TV program delving into the wild world of crocodile wrangling in the NT and giving a glimpse into Mr Wright's family life. A second program starring Mr Wright, Wild Croc Territory, aired on Netflix in 2022. The show was pulled from the platform following Mr Wilson's death. The 45-year-old father-of-two is also behind NT adventure tourism company Wild Territory, which offers helicopter rides, airboat tours and accommodation. The helicopter accident occurred on February 28, 2022, during a crocodile egg-collecting mission on the King River, west of Maningrida, in an isolated part of the Top End. Crocodile egg collecting involves a helicopter able to carry a crew member, or "sling person", who is lowered from the chopper via a long line to access crocodile nests. The three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice that Mr Wright is facing relate to events which allegedly occurred in the aftermath of the accident. Details about what the allegations include will not be revealed until later in the week, when the prosecution and the defence give their opening arguments before a jury. Mr Wright has previously denied any wrongdoing. No, Mr Wright has never formally entered a plea. This will happen on Monday when Mr Wright is arraigned — a court proceeding where an accused person has their charges read to them and is asked how they want to plea. They can respond "guilty" or "not guilty". The trial is expected to run for at least three weeks, but it won't start straight away. Mr Wright's legal team and the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) have requested a few days for legal argument before a jury is selected on Wednesday. The jury empanelment process can take a long time, so it's unlikely that any evidence will be heard until Thursday. Representing the DPP will be Melbourne silk Jason Gullaci SC. He has indicated that Mr Robinson is likely to be one of the first witnesses to give evidence at the trial. During a pre-trial hearing, Mr Gullaci said the Crown intended to call two witnesses to "set the scene" before Mr Robinson would be called. Mr Wright is being represented by prominent South Australian barrister David Edwardson KC and Luke Officer. The trial will be heard before Acting Justice Alan Blow. Mr Wilson's wife and parents have been granted permission to listen to the court proceedings from outside the courtroom via an audio-visual link. During a hearing earlier this month, Mr Gullaci told the judge Ms Wilson was invested in the proceedings but, due to delays in the trial getting underway, may not be able to attend court in person for the full three weeks.

Christmas tree growers keep watchful eye on spread of dangerous mould
Christmas tree growers keep watchful eye on spread of dangerous mould

Yahoo

time4 days ago

  • Health
  • Yahoo

Christmas tree growers keep watchful eye on spread of dangerous mould

Christmas tree growers in Atlantic Canada are monitoring the spread of a disease and looking for ways to combat it. Phytophthora abietivora, a destructive form of mould first identified in 2017 — although it has probably been around undetected for much longer — is causing root rot primarily in Fraser and balsam fir trees. Matthew Wright, treasurer of the Christmas Trees Atlantic Association and a crop protection expert, said imported seedlings may have brought the disease into Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where localized outbreaks have occurred. "It's not anything to be casual about," he said. The disease is spread through soil, water, infected plant material and contaminated equipment. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the disease spread from the northeastern U.S. to Quebec and Ontario. In Quebec, it was reported in forest nurseries and Christmas tree plantations where it caused root rot. In Ontario, it has been found in samples from forested areas but is not associated with any disease. Wright said the disease is a slime mould and belongs to an ancient group of organisms between algae and fungi. "They have swimming spores that move through moist soil to infect new trees," he said. "That's why drainage is one of the real keys to managing it." The mould produces thick-walled spores that can survive in soil for decades, meaning that once it is in a field it is almost impossible to eliminate. Wright said a warming climate in the region may be worsening the problem. Frozen soils had frosts that went deep enough to kill off most mould species, Wright said. But with milder winters, the frost isn't penetrating as deeply, and the mould is surviving. He said growers can reduce the chance of losses by improving drainage and planting on raised beds. Wright said if the disease spreads to natural stands of trees the consequences could be devastating. Infected trees should be removed and burned to prevent further contamination. Research efforts Wright said researchers are exploring ways to fight the disease. In North Carolina, he said scientists are grafting Fraser fir onto momi fir rootstock, an Asian species that has developed "bulletproof" resistance to the mould. Wright said Canadian researchers, led by a team in Quebec, are using DNA sequencing to track the pathogen's spread and test potential biological controls. MORE TOP STORIES

Christmas tree growers keep watchful eye on spread of dangerous mould
Christmas tree growers keep watchful eye on spread of dangerous mould

CBC

time4 days ago

  • Health
  • CBC

Christmas tree growers keep watchful eye on spread of dangerous mould

Christmas tree growers in Atlantic Canada are monitoring the spread of a disease and looking for ways to combat it. Phytophthora abietivora, a destructive form of mould first identified in 2017 — although it has probably been around undetected for much longer — is causing root rot primarily in Fraser and balsam fir trees. Matthew Wright, treasurer of the Christmas Trees Atlantic Association and a crop protection expert, said imported seedlings may have brought the disease into Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where localized outbreaks have occurred. "It's not anything to be casual about," he said. The disease is spread through soil, water, infected plant material and contaminated equipment. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the disease spread from the northeastern U.S. to Quebec and Ontario. In Quebec, it was reported in forest nurseries and Christmas tree plantations where it caused root rot. In Ontario, it has been found in samples from forested areas but is not associated with any disease. Wright said the disease is a slime mould and belongs to an ancient group of organisms between algae and fungi. "They have swimming spores that move through moist soil to infect new trees," he said. "That's why drainage is one of the real keys to managing it." The mould produces thick-walled spores that can survive in soil for decades, meaning that once it is in a field it is almost impossible to eliminate. Wright said a warming climate in the region may be worsening the problem. Frozen soils had frosts that went deep enough to kill off most mould species, Wright said. But with milder winters, the frost isn't penetrating as deeply, and the mould is surviving. He said growers can reduce the chance of losses by improving drainage and planting on raised beds. Wright said if the disease spreads to natural stands of trees the consequences could be devastating. Infected trees should be removed and burned to prevent further contamination. Research efforts Wright said researchers are exploring ways to fight the disease. In North Carolina, he said scientists are grafting Fraser fir onto momi fir rootstock, an Asian species that has developed "bulletproof" resistance to the mould. Wright said Canadian researchers, led by a team in Quebec, are using DNA sequencing to track the pathogen's spread and test potential biological controls.

Rare disease threatens Nova Scotia Christmas trees
Rare disease threatens Nova Scotia Christmas trees

CTV News

time20-07-2025

  • Health
  • CTV News

Rare disease threatens Nova Scotia Christmas trees

Some Nova Scotia Christmas tree growers are concerned about a fungus known as root rot. The dangerous and deadly tree disease Phytophthora, commonly known as root rot, is killing thousands of Nova Scotia Christmas trees. The Christmas tree industry pumps more than $50 million into the Nova Scotia economy each year, as growers have been forced to deal with mild winters, which provide the perfect breeding ground for root rot to spread. 'Last spring, we started seeing some rot, so I got a specialist to look at it,' Christmas tree grower Colin Hughes said. 'We sent some off to get tested and it was confirmed it was root rot.' Hughes said experts have told him the disease came from young infected seedlings brought into the province and are killing most of his Fraser Fir trees, but not the more common Balsam Fir. 'We probably have about 15,000 Fraser Fir trees in the ground right now, and that seems to be where the problem is.' Root rot prevents trees from absorbing water and other nutrients found in the soil. 'We never had to deal with it in our more northern climate, because we always had frost that would go six to eight inches deep, and that would freeze out the spore stage of the disease,' said Matthew Wright from the Canadian Christmas Trees Association. 'This particular disease has a swimming spore stage, so it depends on wet soils to swim to the roots, and it only attacks roots when they are actively growing in the spring or fall,' said Wright. Hughes says it's too soon to know if root rot could spread further and what kind of impact that could have on the Christmas season. He is seeking advice on how to monitor the situation closely. 'All I know is, I have Balsam Firs growing right alongside a dying Fraser Fir, and our Balsams are doing very well,' said Hughes. With December less than five months away, all of Nova Scotia's Christmas trees will need to stay healthy so they can be ready for holiday season.

Root rot attacks some Nova Scotia Christmas trees
Root rot attacks some Nova Scotia Christmas trees

CTV News

time17-07-2025

  • Health
  • CTV News

Root rot attacks some Nova Scotia Christmas trees

Root rot (Phytophthora) is taking aim at some of Nova Scotia's Christmas tree lots. 'Last spring we started seeing some rot and so I got a specialist in to get a look at it and we sent some off to get tested and confirmed it was root rot,' says tree grower, Colin Hughes. So far only Fraser fir trees seem to be affected and not the more common balsam firs. It's believed the root rot came from young trees brought into the province 'I've got balsams growing right alongside a dying Fraser and our balsams are doing very well, so we have got our fingers crossed with our native balsams,' Hughes says. 'This was seed or seedlings that we purchased from nurseries and brought them here.' That's a bit of a blessing for Hughes who bought 15,000 Fraser fir trees in response to demand. He said local producers can't grow enough trees to satisfy the market. Root rot attacks the roots of trees and prevents them from absorbing water and nutrients until they wilt and die. 'We've never had to deal with it in our more northern climates largely because we always had frost that would go 6 to 8 inches deep and that would freeze out the spore stage of the disease,' says Canadian Christmas Tree Association committee member, Matthew Wright. He says climate change is playing a roll in root rot's spread. Warmer winters are providing the right conditions for phytophthora to take hold. 'This particular disease has a swimming spore stage so it depends on a wet soil to actually swim to the roots and it only attacks roots when they're actively growing in the spring or fall,' said Wright. Colin Hughes said all he can do is watch and hope his losses are minimal and his balsams stay healthy. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page

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