Cops probe ‘persons of interest’ in Outback Wrangler crash

There are ‘persons of interest’ who are still being investigated in relation to the fatal Outback Wrangler chopper crash that killed Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson.

Matt Wright. Picture: Alix Sweeney

“Persons of interest” are still being investigated in relation to the fatal chopper crash that killed Outback Wrangler cast member Chris Wilson, a court has heard.

A senior Northern Territory prosecutor told a Darwin court – during an application by Matt Wright to vary his bail conditions – that five people the Netflix star wanted removed from his non-contact list were “very key potential witnesses or slash persons of interest” in the ongoing criminal investigation.

Crown prosecutor Steve Ledek made the largely unnoticed comment during a 45-minute bail variation application in the Darwin Local Court last week.

Wright’s lawyer, Giles O‘Brien-Hartcher, said his reality TV star client needed to contact nine people on his long non-contact list for “business purposes”.

The crown opposed removing five of those – Mick Burns, Jock Purcell, Morgan Vidler, Jai ­Tomlinson and Daniel Pattison – from the list until March 8 because police were still seeking their “co-operation or assistance”.

Darwin-based Mr Burns owns the crocodile egg harvesting business and flew to the crash site with Wright.

Purcell, who works for Wright, was on the February 28 egg collecting mission and features heavily in Wright’s new Netflix series, Wild Croc Territory.

Mr Vidler, also a pilot, was the safety and operations manager at Wright’s Explore the Wild but has since relocated to the Sunshine Coast and started his own company Salt Air Aviation.

Mr Tomlinson is a helicopter pilot and director of Sunshine Coast earthmoving company Black Cat Civil.

Mr Pattison is a pilot who is understood to work at Wright’s Tiwi Island Retreat.

“We’re willing to concede the people he’s nominated, who are important to his business operations, are otherwise very key potential witnesses or slash persons of interest in the ongoing investigation, which we’re trying to conclude and need some level of co-operation or assistance from those individuals,” Mr Ledek said.

Wilson, 34, was killed when the chopper he was slinging beneath to collect crocodile eggs crashed on the King River in a remote part of West Arnhem Land on February 28 last year.

Wright immediately flew to the scene with Mr Burns and off-duty police officer Neil Mellon.

In November, NT police charged Wright – who owned the destroyed helicopter – with seven serious offences including attempting to pervert the course of justice, destroying evidence, fabricating evidence, unlawfully entering a building, unlawfully entering a dwelling, making a false declaration and interfering with witnesses in a criminal investigation or court process by making threats/reprisals. Since his release on bail, the 43-year-old has successfully applied to have eight names removed from his original 50-person non-contact list.

Mr Ledek said the criminal probe into the crash was expected to conclude in early March, after which Wright could contact the five men he wanted to speak with.

Those remaining on Wright’s non-contact list include his two co-accused, other persons of interest, witnesses, critically injured pilot Sebastian Robinson, Wilson’s family, employees, aircraft engineers, tourism operators and tourists who provided evidence.

NT police, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and NT WorkSafe are still investigating what happened before, during and after the fatal crash.

Mr Ledek also revealed in court that CASA had determined “that there ought to be a notice of suspension” of Wright’s Aircraft Operator’s Certificate.

CASA, however, has since clarified that its “investigation and deliberations” relating to Wright’s aviation business Helibrook were continuing. and “no decision has been taken at this time to suspend Helibrook’s certificate”.