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Reality TV personality Matt Wright has been sentenced to 10 months in prison after being found guilty of attempting to obstruct justice in connection with a tragic helicopter crash.
The sentencing was delivered today by Acting Justice Alan Blow at the Supreme Court in Darwin. Wright, known for his role in “Outback Wrangler,” faced this legal battle following a devastating incident in February 2022 that resulted in the death of his close friend and co-star, Chris “Willow” Wilson. The crash also rendered pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic.
The unfortunate event occurred during a crocodile-egg collecting mission in Arnhem Land, where Wilson was positioned on a line beneath a helicopter to descend onto nests in isolated swamp areas.
Wright faced charges for allegedly misleading crash investigators regarding the helicopter’s fuel levels, attempting to persuade Robinson to falsify flight hours, and urging a friend to destroy the helicopter’s maintenance records.
While prosecutors advocated for a custodial sentence, Wright’s defense team argued for a non-custodial outcome and are currently appealing the guilty verdicts handed down to him.
Prosecutors sought a jail term for Wright but his defence lawyers wanted a non-custodial sentence and are pursuing an appeal against his guilty verdicts.
In court today, Acting Justice Blow sentenced Wright to 10 months in prison, suspended after he serves five months.
He was given a $5000 fine on the charge of lying to police.
Wright bowed to the judge before he was led away.
The maximum penalty for attempting to pervert the course of justice is 15 years’ jail.
On August 29 a jury found Wright guilty on the first two counts but could not reach agreement on the third torching accusation.
Prosecutors alleged Wright was worried investigators would learn his choppers’ flying-hour meters were regularly disconnected to extend hours beyond official thresholds, with paperwork falsified to match.
The prosecution did not allege Wright caused the chopper crash, the death of Wilson, or Robinson’s injuries.
