Outback Wrangler Matt Wright’s rise to fame before police investigation
Knockabout bloke and Netflix star Matt Wright was the man in demand – from sponsors to government bodies – who found opportunity flying choppers in the NT, until one ill-fated croc egg mission.
Northern Territory
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Matt Wright was a wanted man.
The knockabout bloke who had grown up in Queensland and South Australia had ventured to the Top End in search of opportunity.
He found it flying helicopters and capturing wild animals.
The harsh Northern Territory Outback, one of the world’s most dangerous predators, and the fearless wrangler with the rugged good looks provided the perfect plot for a reality TV show.
Outback Wrangler first screened on the National Geographic Channel in 2011.
There would be four series of the show, then another – Wild Croc Territory – screened on Channel 9 this year and sold to Netflix.
Wright was a sponsor’s dream and they soon came courting.
Great Northern beer, Yokohama tyres, G-Shock and Ariat all wanted their brands aligned with the man who was following in the footsteps of Steve Irwin.
Tourism Australia made him an ambassador.
In 2017 he married his girlfriend Kaia Hammond; a writer and model turned social media influencer who has almost 90,000 Instagram followers.
Wright was the man who had it all.
But it came literally crashing down on a humid morning in West Arnhem Land on February 28.
This week, Wright was charged with seven offences over issues relating to the crash, including attempting to pervert the course of justice, destroying evidence, fabricating evidence, unlawful entry and interfering with witnesses.
The crash
Crocodile egg collection is not a job for the faint-hearted.
It involves hanging from a helicopter by a harness as the slingman is lowered down to a nest, hoping a croc doesn’t pounce while they gather its eggs.
In 2008, a Darwin crocodile farm worker was forced to shoot his mate in the arm to save him from the jaws of a saltie who had latched on while he tried to collect eggs at Marrakai Station, about 100km east of Darwin.
On February 28 this year, young pilot Sebastian Robinson and croc-egg harvester Chris “Willow” Wilson were working out at King River in West Arnhem Land when tragedy struck.
Their chopper, a Robinson 44 Raven II helicopter with the call sign VH-IDW, crashed, killing Wilson and seriously injuring Robinson.
The helicopter was operated by Wright’s company, Helibrook.
After hearing the news, Wright flew another chopper out to the crash scene.
On board were police officer Neil Mellon and prominent Darwin publican and crocodile farmer Mick Burns.
They arrived to discover Wilson was dead and Robinson had suffered serious spinal injuries.
Also at the crash scene were helicopter pilots Michael Burbidge and Jock Purcell, who had been in convoy on the original job.
What happened next is now the subject of criminal charges laid against Wright and Burbidge. But the first indication that something might have gone awry out at King River didn’t come for months.
The investigation
On August 25, almost six months after the chopper crash, police issued a media release that would shock the Top End.
The three-line statement said a 47-year-old police officer had been arrested and was expected to be charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, unlawfully accessing data and disclosing confidential information.
The officer was Mellon, the well-liked veteran of the NT police who seemed to know anyone who was anyone in Darwin.
Mellon, who has since resigned, had been arrested as he walked into work at the Darwin police station.
It soon emerged the charges related to the helicopter crash that had killed Wilson. Darwin’s rumour mill was in overdrive.
What had happened out at King River after that chopper had gone down?
On September 21, police charged Burbidge with offences including destroying evidence.
At his court hearing a month later, prosecutor Steve Ledek gave the first indication that the Outback Wrangler could be implicated.
Wright was included in a list of people Burbidge was forbidden from contacting as part of his bail conditions.
“They saw certain things, they are witnesses to some of the events that Mr Burbidge has engaged in,” Mr Ledek said.
The reaction
Police had in fact been investigating Wright’s actions for months.
They were building a case based on allegations Wright had failed to properly maintain the helicopter involved in the crash and had then sought to cover-up the failures after the crash occurred.
As detectives worked on the case behind the scenes, Wright was keeping up appearances.
He continued to promote his new show, Wild Croc Territory, which debuted on Channel 9 in April and was due for it Netflix release in October.
He flew to New York where he featured in Tourism Australia’s Come and say G’day campaign.
In media interviews, Wright said Wild Croc Territory would be dedicated to his mate and co-star Wilson.
“Yeah, it just doesn’t feel real still that he’s not going to be there,” he told A Current Affair in April.
“I’ve got some fantastic memories of everything we’ve done over the years which is great, but I’d trade that in heartbeat just to have Willow back.”
But the love Wright was expressing for Wilson didn’t appear to be reciprocated by those close to Wilson.
It was noted that a condolence motion given by the Chief Minister in front of Wilson’s family on October 13 made no mention of his great mate Wright.
This week Wilson’s widow, Danielle, wrote to Netflix asking it to take down Wild Croc Territory until the court proceedings involving Wright are finalised.
“It pains me greatly that the series is still being shown despite the serious allegations that have been made against an individual involved in the series,” she said in an email sent to Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings this week.
Netflix has so far declined to comment.
On Thursday night, Wild Croc Territory was one of the top trending shows on the streaming platform.
The allegations
On October 24, police issued another media release that raised eyebrows.
Police said the chopper had been used for scenic and adventure tours in the Top End between 2020 and 2022.
“We’re particularly interested in anyone who may have taken photos or videos of, or in, this aircraft, to come forward and provide these images to police,” Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Corey Borton said.
Those photos and videos would soon arrive, and they would be crucial in police obtaining a warrant for Wright’s arrest.
Robinson R44 Raven II helicopters are common in northern Australia.
They’re used for everything from scenic flights to mustering cattle.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority requires operators to conduct regular 50-hour and 100-hour services on the machines.
When they reach 2200 total hours in service the machines are required to undergo a complete overhaul.
Experts say this can cost up to $400,000.
The hours are recorded in two ways; on a device called a Hobbs meter that is installed in the cockpit, and manually on what is known as a maintenance release.
Police allege Wright regularly disconnected the Hobbs meter on the helicopter involved in the crash – call sign VH-IDW – and other choppers operated by Helibrook, and that he instructed other Helibrook employees to do the same.
Police have received photos and videos from at least three occasions where they will allege VH-IDW was pictured taking off or landing on days when records provided to CASA showed it was not in use.
Through his lawyer, David Newey, Wright has denied any wrongdoing.
“Matt Wright strenuously denies these charges and will be defending them,” he said this week.
“He is naturally disappointed that the charges have been laid as a result of what was a tragic accident that took the life of Matt’s closest friend Chris Wilson.
“Regulatory investigations have found no defect in the helicopter engine.
“The aircraft was flown following an inspection by independent aviation experts a few weeks before (they) cleared the helicopter to fly.”
Police will allege Wright was aware of the chopper’s maintenance issues when he flew to the crash scene.
They have alleged he and Burbidge tampered with evidence at the scene, including by manipulating the helicopter’s console.
But the charges against Wright also relate to alleged incidents in the weeks after the crash. Police will allege Wright and an associate unlawfully entered Robinson’s hangar and his home, collecting his logbook.
Robinson was in hospital in Brisbane where he was being treated for serious spinal injuries he sustained in the crash. Wright visited him there twice during March.
Police will allege that during those visits he tried to get him to manipulate documents relating to the hours recorded on helicopters including the one involved in the crash.
They will also allege he asked Robinson to wipe the data from his mobile phone.
The future?
Kaia Wright’s last Instagram post was on November 18.
The elation would be short-lived. A week later detectives walked into the office of the Northern Territory’s Director of Public Prosecutions and secured a warrant for Wright’s arrest.
By Tuesday morning, November 29, he was at Sydney Airport ready to catch a plane bound for Darwin.
A media pack was waiting for him as he walked through Darwin Airport’s glass sliding doors just before midday.
Like a scene made for TV, burly men surrounded the star as they hurried him through the baggage collection area and into a white Land Rover Discovery waiting out the front, while a female supporter filmed the action on her mobile phone.
Wright had been given until 9am on Wednesday to hand himself in.
But at 2.08pm on a wet Tuesday afternoon he walked through the front door of the Darwin Police Station and was arrested.
Matt Wright was no longer a wanted man.
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