Former cop to lodge early plea on chopper crash charges

The former police officer charged in relation to the chopper crash that killed Outback Wrangler cast member Chris “Willow” Wilson intends to enter early pleas to his alleged crimes.

Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson. The 34-year-old father-of-two was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in a remote part of West Arnhem Landk while collecting crocodile eggs. Picture: Supplied

The former Northern Territory police officer charged in relation to the chopper crash that killed Outback Wrangler cast member Chris “Willow” Wilson intends to enter early pleas to his alleged crimes, for which he is facing up to 10 years in jail.

Darwin Local Court has heard Neil Mellon wants to have his matters dealt with as “expeditiously as possible”.

Then-acting senior sergeant Mellon was last month charged with 31 criminal offences, of which the most serious – conspiracy to pervert course of justice and the destruction of evidence – relate to the police investigation into the February helicopter crash which killed his friend Wilson.

The Australian understands that the charges do not relate to the aircraft accident itself but to alleged evidence tampering at the crash site.

The former Northern Watch Commander – who resigned this month after 27 years in the job – was also charged with unlawfully accessing data and disclosing confidential information as well as multiple weapons, firearms and wildlife offences.

On Friday morning, Mr Mellon’s lawyer Julie Franz told Judge David Woodroffe that Mr Mellon was interested in “pleading as immediately” as possible.

“I’m indicating a plea to appropriate charges and seek to list the matter for plea in the week of 3rd of October,” Ms Franz said.

Prosecutor Steve Ledek said he was still trying to determine how to best deal with the matters. “Your honour might glean from the charges, particularly those on information, that there’s a variety of offences that range between potentially three years and 10 years,” he said.

“The brief has only just been received by the prosecution so there’s no real time that’s been committed to vet and align and determine the best way to proceed. There’s every likelihood we may make an application for these matters to be committed to the Supreme Court but because it’s in the earlier stages that view hasn’t been finalised.”

Mr Ledek acknowledged that Mr Mellon wanted to deal with his matters quickly.

“Unfortunately, that might be stymied by the process that we need to undertake,” he said.

The matter was adjourned until October 5. Mr Mellon’s bail was enlarged and he was excused from appearing at the next ­mention.

Wilson – a cast member of National Geographic’s reality television show Outback Wrangler – was killed when the Robinson R44 helicopter he was dangling from crashed on the King River in a remote part of West Arnhem Land.

He had been strapped into a harness attached to a 30m-long line to collect crocodile eggs when the chopper collided with terrain about 30km south of South Goulburn Island.

The 34-year-old left behind his wife Danielle and their two young sons.