Reality TV star Matt Wright's court dates locked in after Chris Wilson death
Matt Wright, also known as the Outback Wrangler, faces three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following a helicopter crash in February 2022 that killed his friend and co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson.
The trial is set to begin in the Northern Territory with the selection of the jury on July 30.
Mr Wright was the host of Outback Wrangler, a reality series that saw him tracking down Australian wildlife in rural Australia.
He also hosted the Netflix show Wild Croc Territory in 2022.
Mr Wilson is alleged to have been suspended from the chopper on a crocodile egg collecting mission over the King River in Arnhem Land, when the helicopter crashed into the paperbark swamp, killing the 34-year-old father and critically injuring his 28-year-old pilot, Sebastian Robinson.
It has been alleged Mr Wright was not properly following the maintenance rules for his helicopters, and attempted to cover this up in the wake of the crash.
Mr Wright has strenuously denied all wrongdoing.
The trial's start date has faced many delays, most recently in mid-June when Justice Alan Blow accepted Mr Wright's defence barrister Luke Officer's request to push the July 7 start date back to July 28, resulting in the departure of Crown prosecutor James Moore from the case due to a double booking.
During a pre-trial hearing in Darwin Supreme Court on Tuesday, it was revealed neither the defence nor the prosecution were prepared for that date.
'Both of us agree that we are simply not ready to start on Monday,' defence barrister David Edwardson KC said.
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC endorsed the delay, leading Justice Blow to set a new start date for Wednesday, July 30.
The court was told there would be a pre-trial hearing on Monday, then the jury would be selected on Wednesday, with opening arguments beginning on Thursday.
Mr Gullaci indicated one witness would be Mr Robinson, who was also seriously injured in the crash and allegedly involved in the cover-up.
'I think it is likely there will be at least one or two witnesses that will, to use the phrase 'set the scene', before we call upon (Mr Robinson),' he said.
Originally published as Reality TV star Matt Wright's trial dates locked in after Chris Wilson's death
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
'Don't be stupid, confess to ASIO': Ex-Chinese spy calls out Beijing's Australian espionage efforts, welcomes recent arrest
An ex-Chinese spy has welcomed the arrest of an Australian woman for espionage-related offences as he called out Beijing's intelligence and foreign influence campaigns. On Monday, the Australian Federal Police announced a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been arrested and charged with one count of reckless foreign interference. The woman, who is a permanent Australian resident, allegedly worked to "covertly gather information" about Canberra's Guan Yin Citta Buddhist association on behalf of China's Public Security Bureau. The Chinese Communist Party considers the Buddhist group, which also has members in mainland China, a cult. An ex-Chinese spy has welcomed the arrest of an Australian woman for espionage-related offences as he called out Beijing's intelligence and foreign influence campaigns. Picture: Getty Images In an exclusive interview with Sky News Australia's Cheng Lei, former Chinese spy, Eric, hailed the arrest, saying it was important Australian authorities worked to counter Beijing's efforts to gather intelligence and exert influence at the community level. "What I've noticed in this case is the change to taking action on a spy that's working in a Chinese community organisation, I think it may be the first time," he said. "We know the Chinese government has invested significantly in local community organisations in order to quash dissidents, but also to affect voting and politics. So investing in local communities to counter that is the right thing." Asked whether the woman was acting alone or as part of a larger network of spies, Eric suggested evidence provided by the AFP pointed to the former - although he also warned Beijing had likely established a "large" presence in Australia. On Monday, the Australian Federal Police announced a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been arrested and charged with one count of reckless foreign interference. Picture: Supplied Commenting on the CCP's objectives more broadly, the former spy explained foreign agents had two main aims when conducting operations. "The CCP's spying in Australia takes place in two tracks. One is to quieten criticism against the Chinese government, to ensure its governance security, another is in geopolitics, that may include business, technology, military intel," he said. "China views Australia as important role in geopolitical terms, because we all know if there is military conflict between the US and China in the west pacific, Australia's location is critical. "So the CCP would invest a lot of resources to affect Australian politics and extract military secrets, to ensure Australia would remain neutral, or to defeat the US and Australia's allies." Eric added Chinese spies would work to "foster and develop agents over a long time" in order to avoid detection, including by offering financial incentives to those they believed had valuable information. Asked what any Australian resident being manipulated or approached by China should do, the former spy was unequivocal. "I would say, don't be stupid, first you may be arrested (the) Chinese government would never say 'you're our guys', forget it," he said. "China may start a war in the future, do you want to live in a war country? Don't be stupid, confess to ASIO or police if you are a spy."
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
Chinese teenage girl on cultural exchange program stabbed to death in NSW's Edgeworth, fellow student arrested
A teenage girl visiting Australia on a cultural exchange program has been fatally stabbed and a fellow student has been arrested . The 14-year-old was found with a stab wound to her torso at her host family's home on Euston Close, Edgeworth, in Newcastle's west, about 10.20pm on Monday. The two girls had retired to their separate rooms when the host mother heard a commotion and went to check, finding the injured girl. She was rushed to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition but later died from her injuries. A 13-year-old girl, known to the victim, was arrested at the scene and is assisting police with their inquiries. Police seized a kitchen knife from the scene, believed to have been taken from a drawer. Both girls were part of a cultural exchange program from China, attending a local school and visiting sites around the Hunter area, Superintendent Tracy Chapman told reporters on Tuesday. They arrived in Australia eight days ago and were expected to leave on August 16. Police believe the girls did not know each other before arriving and only became acquainted through the program. They were staying with a host family consisting of a man and a woman in their 50s. No other people were in the house that night. Police are still trying to determine the nature of the relationship between the two girls. 'Obviously extensive inquiries with other students, teachers, parents and the hosts, of course, to establish what the relationship was prior to last night,' Chapman said. She added that the investigation may take longer due to language barriers and the girls not being Australian residents. 'Investigation with young girls involved language barriers, working through the consulate, (and) they're not Australian residents, obviously,' she said. 'So there are obvious complications and complexities with that, which is why it's taken us some time to work through.' No charges have been laid yet, but Superintendent Chapman said charges are expected to be filed later on Tuesday afternoon. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Teen exchange student dies in shocking stabbing at host family home
A teenage girl visiting Australia on a cultural exchange program has been fatally stabbed and a fellow student has been arrested. The 14-year-old was found with a stab wound to her torso at her host family's home on Euston Close, Edgeworth, in Newcastle's west, about 10.20pm on Monday. The two girls had retired to their separate rooms when the host mother heard a commotion and went to check, finding the injured girl. She was rushed to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition but later died from her injuries. A 13-year-old girl, known to the victim, was arrested at the scene and is assisting police with their inquiries. Police seized a kitchen knife from the scene, believed to have been taken from a drawer. The house where both girls were staying with the same host family. Credit: 7NEWS Both girls were part of a cultural exchange program from China, attending a local school and visiting sites around the Hunter area, Superintendent Tracy Chapman told reporters on Tuesday. They arrived in Australia eight days ago and were expected to leave on August 16. Police believe the girls did not know each other before arriving and only became acquainted through the program. They were staying with a host family consisting of a man and a woman in their 50s. No other people were in the house that night. Police are still trying to determine the nature of the relationship between the two girls. 'Obviously extensive inquiries with other students, teachers, parents and the hosts, of course, to establish what the relationship was prior to last night,' Chapman said. She added that the investigation may take longer due to language barriers and the girls not being Australian residents. 'Investigation with young girls involved language barriers, working through the consulate, (and) they're not Australian residents, obviously,' she said. 'So there are obvious complications and complexities with that, which is why it's taken us some time to work through.' No charges have been laid yet, but Superintendent Chapman said charges are expected to be filed later on Tuesday afternoon. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
