Crocodile wrangler and reality TV personality Matt Wright has been sentenced to ten months in prison and is eligible for release after five.
In August, Wright was found guilty of evidence tampering in an investigation into a 2022 helicopter crash that killed his co-host and left the pilot paralysed.
Wright wasn’t on board at the time, and wasn’t accused of causing the crash.
He was also handed a $5,000 fine.
Who is Matt Wright?
Wright worked as a crocodile wrangler in the NT before appearing on two reality TV series, including ‘Outback Wrangler’.
He was also the owner of commercial helicopter company Helibrook, a tourism operator based in the NT.
The company went into liquidation in June. Liquidation is the process of a company selling off its assets to pay its pre-existing debts before closing.
The incident
On 28 February 2022, Wright’s co-star Chris Wilson and pilot Sebastian Robinson were using a Helibrook helicopter to collect crocodile eggs.
The egg-collection process involves suspending a person from the aircraft with a harness attached to a 30-metre sling line.
The helicopter crashed, killing Wilson and leaving Robinson paralysed.
No charges have been laid against anyone for the crash, and it was not the subject of the trial.
The case
Multiple regulatory agencies launched separate investigations into the incident.
The federal Transport Safety Bureau concluded the helicopter crashed because it ran out of fuel mid-flight.
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NT WorkSafe’s investigation found “sufficient evidence” that Wright had sought to falsify the helicopter’s flight records.
In late 2022, NT police officially charged Wright with offences relating to destroying and fabricating evidence, and witness interference.
One charge related to allegations that Wright lied to police about checking the helicopter’s fuel tanks at the crash site.
The claim arose after secretly recorded conversations revealed contradictions in his statements.
The second charge concerned several incidents in March 2022, including an alleged attempt by Wright to pressure Robinson into falsifying flight records during a hospital visit.
The third charge stemmed from a conversation later that year, over which Wright was accused of instructing an associate to destroy helicopter maintenance documents.
The trial
During a trial in the Northern Territory, the jury heard testimony from the surviving pilot, Sebastian Robinson, and his family members.
Prosecutors argued Wright deliberately sought to conceal poor safety standards in his company.
Wright’s defence team, meanwhile, portrayed Robinson as a person who regularly broke the rules and used cocaine.
Wright was found guilty on two of three counts.
Sentence
Wright was given a ten-month prison sentence, with five months suspended after he serves five months behind bars.
The maximum penalty for attempting to pervert the course of justice is 15 years.
Wright was also handed a $5,000 fine for lying to police.
