Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright has been sentenced to almost a year in prison for interference in a criminal investigation into the death of his co-star.
The former TV star was been found guilty accused of trying to cover up evidence following the February 2022 crash that killed his co-star Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson and left pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic.
The 47-year-old was sentenced by Acting Justice Alan Blow in the Supreme Court in Darwin on Friday.
Wright was convicted on two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following a month-long Northern Territory Supreme Court trial in August.
Wright was accused of lying to crash investigators about the amount of fuel in the machine, of trying to get Mr Robinson to falsify flying hours and of asking a friend to “torch” the helicopter’s maintenance release.
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, 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.
Matt Wright has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for his part in the cover-up of the death of his co-star who died in a helicopter crash in 2022
In February 2022 a helicopter crash killed his co-star and left its pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic
Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson died in the crash on February 28
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 Mr Wilson, or Mr Robinson’s injuries.
