Outback Wrangler Matt Wright, Michael Burbidge and former top NT cop Neil Mellon called before Darwin Local Court
Outback Wrangler Matt Wright is fighting a three-word change to his bail, while a top cop has made an extraordinary bid to join a family cruise.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An investigation continues to probe allegations that a celebrity croc wrestler, a chopper pilot and a top Territory cop conspired to cover elements of their mate’s horrific helicopter crash death.
Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright, Remote Helicopters Australia owner Michael Keith Burbidge and former acting Senior Sergeant Neil Ryan Mellon were all charged in relation to the alleged conspiracy surrounding Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson’s death.
The 34-year-old father and fellow reality television star was killed after a Robinson R44 crashed in a paperbark swamp along the King River on February 28.
The last time fellow croc egg collectors saw Chris Wilson, he was flying through the sky, suspended 30m from a chopper dangling over the croc-filled river.
Ninety minutes later his body was found 40m from the chopper wreck, with his 28-year-old pilot Sebastian Robinson in a critical condition.
On Wednesday representatives for all three men appeared in Darwin Local Court before Judge Greg MacDonald for preliminary examination mentions.
Police have alleged in the wake of the crash Wight, Burbidge and Mellon all conspired to destroy evidence, made false declarations, in an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Burbidge and Wright were also accused of attempting to fabricate evidence.
The reality television star faces a total of seven charges, with additional charges including unlawfully entering a building and a dwelling, and making threats or reprisals involving a criminal investigation.
His lawyer Giles O‘Brien-Hartcher said Wright was fighting proposed changes to his bail.
Crown prosecutor Collette Dixon said the variation was to “remove three words” from the star’s bail conditions.
Ms Dixon said she initially thought the new bail was agreed to, but “it was a conversation between the two parties, and each has a different recollection of the conversation”.
A hearing was set for Friday where the changes could be debated before the Darwin Local Court.
Then Acting Senior Sergeant Neil Mellon was the first of the three men to be charged in August, five months after the chopper crash, with the top cop was arrested while walking into work at the Darwin police station.
The former officer faces a total of 35 charges, including disclosure of confidential information, gaining benefit by unlawfully accessing data and obtaining benefit by deception.
A search of Mellon’s home resulted in the charges of failure to meet firearm storage requirements, possessing a prohibited weapon and fireworks, stealing and possessing a protected animal.
In early December prosecutors said new evidence would result in a fresh charge against Mellon in relation to the allegations of attempting to pervert the course of justice, destroying evidence and making a false declaration.
Mellon’s barrister Sally Ozolins fought to allow the ex-cop to contact lawyer Ray Murphy, who is representing his wife Sandi Mellon on unrelated charges.
Ms Ozolins said Mellon was charged with disclosure of confidential information after allegedly talking with Mr Murphy about illicit items seized from his home.
She said since Mr Murphy was now representing his wife, Mellon needed to be able to contact their lawyer.
NT Water Police boss Senior Sergeant Sandi Mellon allegedly trespassed and broke into a building, assaulted a person and threatened to kill a person on August 26, the day after her husband was arrested.
She was also charged with disorderly behaviour, and it will be alleged the obscene language was loud enough to be heard from the street.
Ms Ozolins also asked for Mellon’s passport to be returned.
She said the Mellon family had bought tickets for a cruise in 2020, with Covid delays meaning they were being refunded for March 2023.
Ms Ozolins said the former top cop also hoped to apply for a fly-in-fly-out high risk assessment officer role with a multinational company based in Singapore.
Ms Dixon said the prosecution opposed the changes to Mellon’s bail, however Mr MacDonald asked for parties to debate the proposed bail variations privately.
Mr MacDonald asked the legal teams to try and find “common ground”, and failing that, reapply for the bail hearing at a later date.
Ms Ozolins also opposed any further lengthy adjournment to the case, highlighting her client had been before the courts since September.
Ms Dixon said it was an “ongoing investigation” with material still coming in.
“We will disclose whatever we have,” she said.
Mr MacDonald said he could not compel an investigation “such that the evidence comes into existence”.
He ordered a brief of service be handed over by February 8, with all three men’s cases adjourned to March 8 for a preliminary examination mention.
More Coverage
Originally published as Outback Wrangler Matt Wright, Michael Burbidge and former top NT cop Neil Mellon called before Darwin Local Court
A watchful eye: How Border Force is combating drug cartels in Northern Australia
As drug cartels become craftier, the challenge to protect the nation becomes more difficult. See how Border Force officers operate in the Top End at sea and on land.
Exposed: Teen hoon had 85 ‘occurrences’ with police before allegedly ramming cop car
The NT News can reveal the amount of ‘occurrences’ a group of youth offenders had with police before they allegedly rammed into them with stolen cars in Alice Springs. Find out more.