Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright avoids ankle monitor

Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright has escaped having to wear an electronic monitoring device in the latest round of legal argument over his bail conditions.

Matt Wright. Picture: Getty Images

Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright has escaped having to wear an electronic monitoring ­device in the latest round of legal argument over his bail conditions.

A lawyer for Wright on Wednesday fought to allow the 43-year-old to return to the Northern Territory and be allowed to speak to some of the remaining 46 ­people on his non-contact list.

In November, NT police charged Wright with seven serious offences related to his actions before and after the fatal chopper crash that killed reality television co-star Chris Wilson during a crocodile egg collection mission at West Arnhem Land.

The charges include 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.

On Wednesday, Wright’s lawyer, Giles O’Brien-Hartcher fought to delete nine names from his non-contact list.

The crown opposed removing five of those – Mick Burns, Daniel Pattinson, Jock Purcell, Morgan Vidler and Jai Tomlinson – from the list but agreed that Wright could now contact Ty Richardson, Cole Darley, Nathan Bolton and Tommy Abdoo.

Prosecutor Steve Ledek told Darwin Local Court that the police investigation into the fatal chopper crash was expected to be finalised in early March.

The contested five names are expected to be dropped from the non-contact list at the next preliminary examination mention on March 8.

The court heard Wright, who relocated to Queensland in Aug­ust, wanted to freely return to the Territory.

The crown agreed he could on the condition he wear an electronic monitoring device.

Mr Ledek said given the serious charges of interfering with witnesses and evidence tampering, an ankle monitoring device was vital to protect the “sanctity” of the evidence and to prove any potential breach of bail.

“The protection of the interference of witnesses goes to the heart of the allegation that we’re prosecuting in the first instance,” he said.

Mr O’Brien-Hartcher rejected the offer, saying an ankle monitor was a “restraint on liberty that doesn’t serve a purpose” and his client did not intend to breach his bail conditions.

Judge Richard Wallace agreed, saying there did not seem to be “any justification for compromising the privacy of Mr Wright in this way”.

He ordered Wright, who owns multiple Darwin properties, to provide police with 12 hours’ notice before changing his residential address.

Wright and his family relocated to Queensland in late August but the father of four – who owns a number of tourism operations – has been back in the Territory since January 30 getting his business affairs in order ahead of the dry season.

Meanwhile Great Northern – which runs promotions offering key customers the opportunity “to participate in unique adventures in the NT where they can fish, sightsee and more” – recently removed a visit to Wright’s Tiwi Island Retreat from its program “pending the outcome of NT legal proceedings”.

NT police, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and NT WorkSafe are all still investigating what happened before, during and after the fatal helicopter crash on February 28 last year.

Wright and his co-accused are all due back in court on March 8.