Outback Wrangler Matt Wright has lost ‘no case’ appeal after being found guilty of a chopper crash conspiracy

A reality television star has been hit with a legal blow in his battle to dismiss his charges over a fatal chopper crash conspiracy. Read the latest here.

An Aussie reality television star has been hit with a legal blow in his battle to dismiss his fatal chopper crash conspiracy charges.

Outback Wrangler Matt Wright has been pursuing two different channels to appeal his guilty verdict over allegations he tried to cover up details of the catastrophic chopper crash that killed his best mate.

On Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Meredith Huntingford released her decision on an appeal stemming from a no case submission made during the trial earlier this year.

In August a jury found Wright guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice following a chopper crash that killed his co-star Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson on February 28, 2022.

Following his high profile, 16-day trial, the jury heard Wright knew the helicopter he sent his best mate and employees off in was “not airworthy” as it had gone over a critical 2200-hour service requirement.

Outback Wrangler Matt Wright has been found guilty of allegations he conspired to cover up details of the helicopter crash that killed Chris Wilson. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The jury found the reality star lied to NT Police and attempted to manipulate flight records, by pressuring the sole survivor of the crash to manipulate records.

Within minutes of hearing of the guilty verdict, the Territory celebrity indicated he would be appealing it.

During the trial, defence barrister David Edwardson argued the ‘pervert the course of justice’ charge was incorrectly laid and made a no case submission in the absence of the jury.

The jury heard that had a “pattern” of failing to record flight hours at his helicopter business, Helibrook, in order to evade maintenance requirements which could total up to $460,000.

Wright was secretly recorded admitting that the crashed chopper had likey “overflown” the strict 2200 hour threshold by 10 per cent.

The jury found that in the wake of the crash, Wright visited his paraplegic pilot, Seb Robinson and asked him to make false entries into the maintenance release to disguise this breach, but Mr Robinson declined.

Mr Edwardson argued the reality television star’s actions meant he should have been charged with an alternative charge such as fabrication or the destruction of evidence, rather than pervert the course of justice.

However prosecutors maintained Wright’s actions were an “attempt” to destroy and fabricate evidence in the shadow of an investigation into the horror chopper crash.

On Thursday Justice Huntingford delivered the outline of her decision in a 47 second hearing over the appeal question of law, siding with the Crown.

In her 25 page written decision, Justice Huntingford explained that conduct which has the tendency to pervert the course of justice — such as fabricating evidence — during the course of an investigation, could fall under the conspiracy charge.

“He acted with an intent to deflect the investigative authorities from laying criminal charges against him, not with intent to mislead in judicial proceedings,” she said.

Justice Huntingford said Justice Alan Blow was correct in reasoning that an attempt to “deflecting investigative authorities so as to avoid criminal charges being laid against him” was ultimately because he knew it “may be required in evidence in judicial proceedings”.

The no case submission is one of two appeal channels the reality television star has pursued, and does not impact the verdict appeal which will be contested following his sentencing on Friday.

Originally published as Outback Wrangler Matt Wright has lost ‘no case’ appeal after being found guilty of a chopper crash conspiracy