Chopper crash survivor to appear in TV star’s trial
Lloyd Jones |
A helicopter pilot who suffered life-changing injuries in a crash that killed Outback Wrangler’s Chris “Willow” Wilson is set to give evidence in the trial of reality TV star Matt Wright.
Sebastian Robinson was left a paraplegic after the crash during a crocodile-egg collecting mission in remote swampland in the Northern Territory during February 2022.
Mr Wilson was suspended on a sling under the chopper when he fell to the ground and was killed in the Arnhem Land incident.
Wright is facing trial in the Supreme Court in Darwin after pleading not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
He has been accused of tampering with evidence and covering up improper flight-time recording.
Wright was allegedly worried crash investigators would uncover that he and his pilots regularly disconnected flight-time meters to extend helicopter flying hours beyond official thresholds and falsified logbooks and maintenance releases.
Part of the prosecution case includes allegations Wright visited the injured Mr Robinson in Royal Brisbane Hospital after the crash, “putting the hard word on him” to falsify helicopter flying hours.
It’s alleged Wright wanted hours flown by the crashed helicopter to be put onto the wounded pilot’s own helicopter.
Mr Robinson refused to comply with the request, the prosecution said.
But Wright’s senior defence counsel, David Edwardson KC, told the jury his client “emphatically” denied pressuring the pilot to falsify flight-time records.
The credibility of Mr Robinson and family members who would give evidence was seriously in question, Mr Edwardson said.
The accusation will be examined in court on Monday when Mr Robinson gives evidence.
The charges against Wright do not relate to the cause of the accident and the prosecution does not allege he is responsible for either the crash or Mr Wilson’s death.
The trial before acting Justice Allan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks.
AAP
