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Former Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright has been sentenced to five months in prison for perverting the course of justice in relation to a 2022 helicopter crash.
Wright, who was in August convicted on two charges – involving asking the crash pilot to falsify flight records and lying to police to obstruct the investigation – was last week handed a 10-month sentence, suspended after five months, as well as a $5,000 fine.
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In his sentencing, Supreme Court Acting Justice Alan Blow said Wright’s actions were “too serious not to serve prison time”.
“There was some degree of planning in your conduct from March 3 to March 13, 2022, and in all of the circumstances I think the only appropriate penalty is a period of actual imprisonment,” he said, as reported in The Australian.
The incident took place in 2022 in remote West Arnhem Land and killed Chris “Willow” Wilson and seriously injured pilot Sebastian Robinson. Wilson was suspended underneath the Robinson R44 helicopter on a 30-metre sling during a crocodile egg-collecting mission.
The ATSB said in its report that during the autorotation emergency forced landing procedure that followed, the pilot, Robinson, released the hooks and sling line carrying Wilson “above a height that would likely be survivable”.
The helicopter subsequently hit the ground without enough energy from the main rotor to cushion the landing, causing Robinson severe spinal injuries.
While Justice Blow said Wright’s character references were “impressive”, he condemned the owner of helicopter operator Helibrook for visiting Robinson in the hospital and asking him to alter the flight records.
“It’s significant you had the callousness to make and pursue this request at a time when Mr Robinson had come out of a coma and just learned he would not walk again,” he said.
“He was heavily medicated and very vulnerable. I am satisfied you attempted to take advantage of your then friendship with Mr Robinson and his enormous respect for you when you attempted to get him to falsify your maintenance release.”
Australian Aviation previously reported how CASA was seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit against it over the death of Wilson.
The case brought by Wilson’s wife Danielle in the Federal Court, expected to go to trial in the second half of next year, also involves Helibrook and Wright himself.
CASA lost its attempt to be struck out of the lawsuit, with Danielle Wilson saying in May that Justice Elizabeth Raper ruled she still has an “arguable case” against the regulator.
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