Renowned crocodile wrangler and television personality Matt Wright has been sentenced to five months imprisonment for evidence tampering following a tragic helicopter crash that resulted in the death of his co-star and left the pilot permanently disabled. The Northern Territory Supreme Court delivered the verdict on Friday, concluding a high-profile case that has captivated Australian media.
Acting Justice Alan Blow imposed a 10-month prison term, with half suspended, and levied an additional A$5,000 fine against the former Netflix star. The sentence comes after Wright’s August conviction for providing false statements to law enforcement and attempting to influence a hospitalized witness regarding the February 2022 incident in Arnhem Land.
The judicial proceedings revealed disturbing details about aviation practices within the Northern Territory’s helicopter community. Evidence presented during the month-long trial included covert recordings demonstrating Wright’s attempts to manipulate flight records and fuel documentation. Prosecutors successfully argued that Wright engaged in systematic falsification of maintenance logs to avoid regulatory requirements.
The catastrophic accident claimed the life of Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson, Wright’s co-star on ‘Outback Wrangler,’ who fell 25 meters to his death after being suspended in a sling during crocodile egg collection. Pilot Sebastian Robinson sustained severe injuries including punctured lungs and traumatic brain damage, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
Justice Blow noted the absence of remorse in Wright’s conduct while acknowledging his low likelihood of reoffending. The court received numerous character references describing Wright’s community contributions, which the judge characterized as ‘the most impressive I’ve ever seen.’
The case exposed widespread industry misconduct, with testimony indicating that disconnecting flight hour recorders—known as ‘popping the clock’—was commonplace among Northern Territory helicopter operators. While the defense acknowledged this practice was prevalent, they maintained Wright’s actions did not constitute perversion of justice.
Wright’s legal team has indicated plans to appeal the conviction, arguing that his initial statements about fuel levels were intended to ‘protect a mate’ rather than obstruct investigation. The third charge regarding alleged destruction of maintenance records resulted in a hung jury and remains under judicial consideration.
The sentencing concludes a case that examined not just the actions of one individual but revealed systemic issues within specialized aviation operations, while emphasizing that the proceedings did not determine the actual cause of the fatal crash itself.