Latest news with #crocodileeggmission
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Introducing the case of the croc wrangler
It's the trial everyone in Darwin is talking about. In February 2022 a helicopter on a crocodile egg collection mission crashed in remote Arnhem Land, killing the egg collector and paralysing the pilot. NT Croc Wrangler Matt Wright isn't on trial for the crash, but for what allegedly he did after. Charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, prosecutors say he tried to interfere with the investigation. Wright, has pled not guilty and denies all the allegations. In this first episode of The Case Of, NT Court Reporter Olivana Lathouris and Stephen Stockwell talk you through what happened in 2022, the specifics of the charges against Matt Wright and what makes this crash so tragic. The Case Of is the follow-up to the hit podcast Mushroom Case Daily, and all episodes of that show will remain available in the back catalogue of The Case Of.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
New development in Outback Wrangler trial as Matt Wright fights accusations he tampered with evidence of deadly helicopter crash
A helicopter pilot who suffered life-changing injuries in a crash that killed Outback Wrangler's Chris 'Willow' Wilson is set to give evidence in the trial of reality TV star Matt Wright. Sebastian Robinson was left a paraplegic after the crash during a crocodile-egg collecting mission in remote swampland in the Northern Territory during February 2022. Mr Wilson was suspended on a sling under the chopper when he fell to the ground and was killed in the Arnhem Land incident. Wright is facing trial in the Supreme Court in Darwin after pleading not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. He has been accused of tampering with evidence and covering up improper flight-time recording. Wright was allegedly worried crash investigators would uncover that he and his pilots regularly disconnected flight-time meters to extend helicopter flying hours beyond official thresholds and falsified logbooks and maintenance releases. Part of the prosecution case includes allegations Wright visited the injured Mr Robinson in Royal Brisbane Hospital after the crash, 'putting the hard word on him' to falsify helicopter flying hours. It's alleged Wright wanted hours flown by the crashed helicopter to be put onto the wounded pilot's own helicopter. Mr Robinson refused to comply with the request, the prosecution said. But Wright's senior defence counsel, David Edwardson KC, told the jury his client 'emphatically' denied pressuring the pilot to falsify flight-time records. The credibility of Mr Robinson and family members who would give evidence was seriously in question, Mr Edwardson said. The accusation will be examined in court on Monday when Mr Robinson gives evidence. 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 or Mr Wilson's death. The trial before acting Justice Allan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
Bush pilot ditched Outback Wrangler star's mobile phone after fatal helicopter crash, trial hears
A bush pilot has told a court he ditched reality TV star Chris 'Willow' Wilson's mobile phone after a fatal helicopter crash, but can't recall unscrewing the chopper's console with Outback Wrangler's Matt Wright. Michael Burbidge, pilot and director of Remote Helicopters, gave evidence at Wright's trial in the Supreme Court in Darwin on Friday. Wilson was in a sling under a helicopter on a crocodile egg collecting mission when it crashed, 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, triggering possible charges against him and his company. 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 the death. Burbidge, flying his own helicopter for egg collecting, was first onto the crash scene after contact was lost with Robinson's chopper. Burbidge told the jury he landed near the crash site to find Wilson dead and Robinson critically injured. He rendered first aid to Robinson and leaned inside the chopper to turn the machine's master switch off. Burbidge said he was on the scene for maybe an hour before other pilots and egg collectors alerted to the crash arrived but 'it felt like forever'. Wright later flew in on his chopper with then police officer Neil Mellon, who removed items from Wilson's body, including his phone and a handgun. Burbidge said he was given the mobile and said to Mellon 'Dani doesn't need to see what's on the phone', referring to Wilson's partner Dani Wilson. He agreed he had got rid of the phone, 'ditched it, somewhere on the way home'. Burbidge told the court he was later charged and fined for disposing of the phone after pleading guilty. 'I did it all on my own,' he said. Burbidge said he had no recollection of inspecting the crashed chopper's fuel tank or detaching the craft's console along with Wright as other witnesses have reported. The crown has alleged that Wright wanted to look behind the console to check if the Hobbs flight-hour recording meter was disconnected. It's been alleged Wright and his pilots regularly disconnected the meters to extend helicopters' flying hours beyond official thresholds and falsified logbooks and maintenance releases. Burbidge 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 Burbidge told Wright he had heard there had been 'shit written' in a chopper's logbook saying 'clock found disconnected again'. Burbidge told Gullaci the August 2022 call was just between friends about a rumour he had heard and he was concerned about putting the records right. He denied that it might be evidence of Wright disconnecting a Hobbs meter. Defence senior counsel David Edwardson KC has told the jury his client 'emphatically denied' trying to get Robinson to falsify flight records or telling an associate to 'torch' a maintenance release. The trial before acting Justice Alan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks.
