Jury plans confirmed after repeated delays in Outback Wrangler Matt Wright’s court case

Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright faces wait as his jury selection is pushed back until after the Territory Day long weekend.

Matt Wright with his defence Senior Counsel David Edwardson KC, left, and supported by his wife Kaia Wright approaching the Supreme Court in Darwin on Tuesday July 30. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A celebrity croc wrangler and reality television star will have to wait another week before facing the jury for his high-profile crash conspiracy trial.

On Wednesday, Matt Wright was told his jury would only be selected next Tuesday, six days after his NT Supreme Court trial was anticipated to begin.

The 45-year-old Netflix reality television star of Outback Wrangler has pleaded not guilty to three allegations of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the death of his co-star Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson three years ago.

The 34-year-old father was killed after his helicopter crashed into a paperbark swamp at the King River in Arnhem Land on February 28, 2022.

Matt Wright with his defence instructing solicitor Luke Officer, left, and supported by his wife Kaia Wright approaching the Supreme Court in Darwin on Tuesday July 30. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Wilson was dangling in a sling from a Robinson R44 during a crocodile egg collecting mission when the chopper went down, killing him and critically injuring his 28-year-old pilot Sebastian Robinson.

It is alleged that on three occasions over a seven month period Mr Wright attempted to compromise the investigation into the chopper crash.

Mr Wright entered his pleas on Monday, but has faced repeated delays to start the four-week trial due to ongoing legal arguments

On Wednesday, Justice Alan Blow said he did not want a jury to be selected, only for them to be left waiting over the Territory Picnic Day long weekend.

“We’re not going to be ready to empanel the jury tomorrow,” Justice Blow said.

“If we are ready to empanel them on Friday, I don’t want to because I don’t want them to hear opening speeches and then go away for a three-day weekend.”

He said he would advise the Supreme Court staff that the jury pool — which is expected to include hundreds of Territorians — would have to be called on Tuesday, August 5.

Both prosecution and defence teams agreed with the decision to delay the hearing.

Originally published as Jury plans confirmed after repeated delays in Outback Wrangler Matt Wright’s court case