Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright given strict bail
Matt Wright appeared in court for the first time on serious criminal charges over the crash that killed Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson.
Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright has been released on bail after posting a $20,000 surety and promising not to contact 50 persons of interest and witnesses connected to the February chopper crash that killed cast member Chris “Willow” Wilson.
The reality television star and Tourism Australia ambassador appeared in the Darwin Local Court on Wednesday after being charged with seven serious criminal offences stemming from the major crash investigation into the fatal helicopter incident.
The 43-year-old’s first court mention came just hours after Wilson’s widow, Danielle, urged Netflix to axe its reality TV series Wild Croc Territory – featuring her husband – until the criminal proceedings against Wright are complete.
Northern Territory police had charged Wright on Tuesday with seven offences related to his actions before and after the fatal crash involving his helicopter – a R44 Raven II registered VH-IDW – during a crocodile egg collection mission on February 28.
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.
During a seven-minute mention on Wednesday, Wright’s lawyer, Gregory Jones, applied to vary his client’s bail conditions while Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Victoria Engel sought six amendments that would make his bail conditions more “onerous”.
These included payment of a security, an own recognisance order and an undertaking that he would not approach or contact – directly or indirectly – 50 people connected to the criminal investigation into the fatal February 28 chopper crash.
Among them are former senior NT cop Neil Mellon and pilot Michael Burbidge, who have both been charged with serious offences related to the major crash investigation.
Wright is prohibited from contacting pilot Sebastian Robinson, who was critically injured in the crash, or Darwin publican Mick Burns, who owns the crocodile-egg harvesting business and flew to the crash site with Wright.
Contact with pilot Jock Purcell, who was on the February 28 egg collection mission, is also prohibited.
The Australian on Wednesday revealed allegations that Mr Purcell landed at the crash site and lifted the destroyed helicopter’s dash to check whether the Hobbs meter was connected before screwing the dash down by hand.
It is also alleged Mr Purcell, who works for Wright, unlawfully entered Mr Robinson’s hangar in the days after the fatal crash.
He declined to comment on the allegations.
The no-contact list includes Wilson’s widow and parents, Robinson’s family and Wright’s operations manager, Tim Johnston, whose wife was in court on Wednesday.
The celebrity croc-wrangler is not allowed to contact aircraft engineer Geoff Morton, who raised safety concerns about another chopper owned by Wright two years before the fatal crash.
He also cannot contact Trent Lawson, who made a complaint to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau about another incident involving Wright in 2014, or Michael Jocobi, a witness to that alleged incident who communicated with Wright until late last week.
Pilots, crocodile egg collectors, employees, friends, former partners and tourists also feature on the no-contact list.
Judge John Neill extended Wright’s bail until his preliminary examination on January 25 at which he is required to appear.
As he left the court building, Wright told reporters “I just want to go home”.
His Sydney-based corporate insurance lawyer, David Newey, who travelled with him to Darwin, said his client “strenuously denies these charges and will be defending them”.
“Regulatory investigations have found no defect in the helicopter engine,” he said. “The aircraft was flown following an inspection by independent aviation experts a few weeks before who cleared the helicopter to fly.”
The aircraft engineer who performed the 100-hour inspection on February 7, three weeks before the fatal crash, and certified it safe to fly – Cole Darley – is also on Wright’s no-contact list.
Mr Darley did not respond to requests for comment this week.
Wright must live in Queensland until his court appearance.
More Coverage
Wilson urges Liberals to kickstart ‘revival’
Reflecting on his defeat in 2022 to teal Zoe Daniel that delivered him his personal ‘winter’, Wilson observed that the Coalition was now facing its own crisis.
College ‘exceeding’ expectations in lifting Indigenous students
Indigenous students at a western Sydney high school have achieved a fourfold increase in top-level reading scores after staff fostered stronger connections with families.