Pilot says Matt Wright wanted flight hours manipulated, court told

Reality TV prima Matt Wright visited a aviator while he was heavy sedated successful infirmary pursuing a deadly chopper crash, asking him to manipulate flying hr records, a tribunal has been told.

Outback Wrangler co-star Chris "Willow" died successful nan February 2022 accident, falling to nan crushed from a sling beneath nan chopper while collecting crocodile eggs successful distant swampland successful nan Northern Territory.

The craft past crashed, earnestly injuring aviator Sebastian Robinson.

Now a paraplegic, he gave grounds astatine nan Supreme Court successful Darwin by video nexus from his wheelchair connected Wednesday.

Wright is connected proceedings connected 3 charges of attempting to pervert nan people of justice, having pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors allege he was worried clang investigators would observe that flight-time meters were disconnected regularly to widen flying hours beyond charismatic thresholds and that paperwork was falsified.

Robinson told nan tribunal Wright visited him successful Royal Brisbane Hospital 10 days aft nan clang erstwhile he was still successful very bad shape, heavy sedated pinch "tubes coming retired of maine everywhere".

Crown charismatic Jason Gullaci SC asked nan 32-year-old what Wright had asked of him astatine his infirmary bedside and he replied "to manipulate hours connected my aircraft".

"He asked if I would see putting immoderate of his hours, from his helicopter, onto my helicopter."

The tribunal was told Robinson was being asked to put egg-collecting hours flown connected Wright's collapsed chopper onto his ain helicopter, which was not fitted pinch instrumentality for ovum collecting.

Robinson said he told Wright he would deliberation astir his petition and erstwhile he made a return sojourn nan adjacent time told him "I didn't consciousness comfortable doing it".

Wright had besides asked to spell done his telephone and "delete a fewer things", Robinson said.

At nan clip he was "scared and panicked" and didn't cognize who to trust, he said.

The clang and his life-changing injuries had been "the hardest point I've ever had to woody pinch successful my life".

The tribunal was told Robinson was asked to alert egg-collecting missions successful Arnhem Land, wherever COVID restrictions were successful place, because Wright was an anti-vaxxer truthful could not participate nan Indigenous territory unvaccinated.

Jurors heard that Wright visited Robinson successful infirmary contempt requirements to show a COVID vaccination certificate and having to complete a trial for nan virus.

The charges against Wright do not subordinate to nan origin of nan mishap and nan prosecution does not allege he is responsible for either nan crash, Wilson's decease aliases Robinson's injuries.

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