Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright has been found guilty on two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, following a four-week trial in the Supreme Court in Darwin.
The celebrity crocodile wrangler — also known for his television show Wild Croc Territory — was charged in relation to a 2022 helicopter crash that took place while he was collecting crocodile eggs in remote Arnhem Land.
Wright’s friend and co-star Chris Wilson was tragically killed in the crash, while the pilot, Sebastian Robinson, sustained life-altering injuries and was left in a paraplegic state.
In the aftermath, the jury unanimously found Wright guilty of attempting to obstruct authorities’ investigation into the crash by lying to police and asking Robinson to falsify the helicopter flight records.
The jury — which handed down the verdict at around 1pm today — did not reach a decision on a third charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, which saw Wright accused of directing an associate to destroy the helicopter’s maintenance records.
At the time, the Air Transport Safety Bureau confirmed that the helicopter had run out of fuel, causing the engine to shut down and resulting in it crashing to the ground.
Wright was accused of lying to investigators about the amount of fuel in the helicopter and of falsifying flying hours, with the third count — of instructing a friend to “torch” the helicopter’s maintenance records — unable to be agreed upon by the jury.
The charges — for which Wright had earlier pleaded not guilty — did not relate to the cause of the incident, and prosecutors did not allege Wright was responsible for the crash.
Earlier in the trial, prosecutors argued Wright was worried investigators would discover that his helicopter’s flying-hour meter was regularly disconnected to extend flights beyond official limits.
They also alleged he falsified paperwork to match the discrepancies.
Speaking outside court after the verdict, Detective Senior Sergeant Corey Borton said the jury had “done a great job and a difficult job”, per the ABC.
“My investigation team has spent three years on this job and got the result that we did,” Borton added.
It’s not yet known whether Wright will appeal the verdict. Despite prosecutors arguing the seriousness of the offences, Wright was granted bail.
Wright is set to be sentenced on October 6, and could face jail time as a result of the charges.
Lead images: Matt Wright/Instagram
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