14m agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 6:09am
Who is involved in this trial?
As the jury has afternoon tea, let’s recap some of the key players involved in this trial:
- Matt Wright, the star of Netflix show Wild Croc Territory and National Geographic’s Outback Wrangler, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice
- Chris “Willow” Wilson died in the 2022 chopper crash and his wife Danielle is in court today
- Sebastian Robinson, who is not in court today and is not facing any charges, was piloting the chopper when it crashed in 2022
- Jock Purcell, a helicopter pilot and crocodile egg collector, has been giving evidence in court today
- CareFlight paramedic Matthew Auld, who attended the crash scene in 2022, gave evidence in court this afternoon
- Jason Gullaci SC is representing the prosecution
- Solicitor Luke Officer and prominent barrister David Edwardson KC are representing Mr Wright‘s defence
- Justice Alan Blow is presiding over the Supreme Court trial
38m agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 5:45am
Afternoon tea
The jury has now taken the afternoon break and will be back in about 20 minutes.
Today marks the start of the NT Supreme Court’s second week hearing Matt Wright’s trial. (ABC News: Dane Hirst)39m agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 5:45amPilot’s paper work ‘very slack indeed’
Egg collector Jock Purcell has agreed, under cross-examination, that his friend, pilot Sebastian Robinson, was “very slack indeed” when it came to recording his flight times.
But he denied that Mr Robinson ever paid him for help with his paperwork and says he only assisted him “out of friendship”.
Earlier, Mr Purcell said he had gone to Mr Robinson‘s home in the days after the crash to collect his pilot log book before his wife gave it to one of Mr Robinson‘s brothers.
“Seb asked that morning if he could get his log book off me and I was away,” he said.
“Yes, they came and got it.”
1h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 5:03am
Egg collector cross-examined by the defence
CareFlight nurse Matthew Auld has been excused and defence barrister David Edwardson KC is now cross-examining the previous witness, pilot and egg collector Jock Purcell.
Mr Purcell says he went on a different crocodile egg collecting mission with Sebastian Robinson and another man the day before the crash.
He says they were supposed to leave in the morning but, after texting Mr Robinson, he replied: “I’ve been in bed and will be there at 3:30pm”.
As a result, they didn’t leave until that afternoon and came back sometime before dark.
Mr Purcell says he didn’t see any pre-flight checks being done on Sebastian Robinson‘s helicopter the next day, when it was refueling at Noonamah ahead of the fateful mission.
But he said “I saw Mudcrab do a fuel drain on his helicopter”.
“Testing for water, so there’s no water in the fuel tanks after you fill up,” Mr Purcell said.
Solicitor Luke Officer and prominent South Australian barrister David Edwardson KC are representing the defence legal team in Matt Wright’s trial. (ABC News: Dane Hirst)1h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 4:50amDual controls ‘not installed’
The trial is continuing now.
The next witness is CareFlight nurse Matthew Auld who was part of the crew that attended the fatal crash in 2022.
Mr Auld told the court he first confirmed Chris Wilson was deceased before helping stabilise Sebastian Robinson, and then stayed at the scene for about three hours to help repatriate Mr Wilson‘s body.
The witness says he heard discussions between Matt Wright and others present at the scene, about removing items from the helicopter.
“I heard [Mr Wright] wonder what happened to the helicopter in terms of, he said something like ‘I wonder what the go is’,” Mr Auld said.
“Some dual controls were removed from the helicopter as well as some other items such as fuel jerry cans.
“I know [the dual controls] were not installed, they were under a seat.”
Inside a helicopter, dual controls allow both the pilot and a co-pilot to operate the aircraft.
The helicopter crashed in 2022 while on a crocodile-egg collection mission. (Supplied: Careflight)
1h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 4:26am
What are Matt Wright’s charges about?
While we’re waiting for court to resume after lunch, let’s recap what this trial is about.
Matt Wright is facing three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice over his alleged behaviour following the fatal 2022 chopper crash that claimed Chris “Willow” Wilson‘s life.
Those three counts relate to allegations Mr Wright:
- attempted to provide false information during the crash investigation
- avoided producing relevant original documents when asked
- tried to manipulate helicopter flight records to “cover up” relevant information.
None of the charges against Mr Wright relate to the cause of the chopper crash and he has pleaded not guilty to all three counts.
Matt Wright and his wife Kaia, walking alongside his legal team. (ABC News: Marcus Kennedy)
2h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 3:37am
Judge answers questions from the jury
Just before the lunch break, Acting Justice Alan Blow took the opportunity to address three questions jurors had handed up to him in a note this morning.
Can we please see any photos of the refueling area at Mount Borradaile?
Can we also see any photos of the fuel tanks and fuel pipes of an R44 Raven II?
We’re seeking more clarity around the differing witness statements, if you believe it pertinent to this case.
To answer the first two questions, Acting Justice Blow said it would be “up to the lawyers in this case”.
“They decide what evidence to present to you,” he said.
“I’ve told them that you’ve asked, but there are all sorts of reasons for counsel to decide what evidence to present to you and what evidence not to present to you.
“So if such photos get presented to you, that’s fine, and if they don’t, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
In answering the third question, Acting Justice Blow said while “different people have said different things”, “I certainly won’t be discussing the discrepancies now” and “nor should counsel, except perhaps in questioning witnesses”.
“At the end of the trial, when there are closing speeches from both counsel and a summing up from me, any of us might refer to particular discrepancies that we think are important,” he said.
“Then again, we might not refer to particular discrepancies, or we might refer to none.”
Acting Justice Blow said the jury would have access to a transcript of the evidence and it would be up to them to decide what’s important.
“At the end of the day, if counsel thinks something’s important or if I think something’s important, it’s up to you, you might think it’s unimportant and vice versa,” he said.
“So there might be discussion about discrepancies after all the evidence has been given, there might be questions asked about discrepancies.
“But you won’t get any more help with discrepancies, except through those sources, the questioning of witnesses and the closing speeches and summing up at the end of the trial.”
The evidence is due to resume at 2pm ACST.
3h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 3:01am
Lunch break
After a few clarifying questions from Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC, pilot and egg collector Jock Purcell has been excused for now and we’re taking lunch.
Mr Purcell will finish giving evidence after the break before CareFlight paramedic Matthew Auld is due to take the stand.
3h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 2:44am
‘The Hobbs meter was connected’
Helicopter pilot and crocodile egg collector Jock Purcell says he looked under the dash of the crashed helicopter and “the Hobbs meter was connected”.
Mr Purcell says he saw someone approach the downed helicopter at the scene and lift the dash.
“I know someone lifted the dash of the crashed helicopter but I don’t recall who it was,” he said.
“I looked under the dash to see if I could see anything obvious to why the helicopter crashed.
“I can’t remember exactly what I said but I know the Hobbs meter was connected.”
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC suggested Mr Purcell “knew that there was a practice among Matt Wright‘s helicopters of the Hobbs meter being disconnected”.
“And you wanted to see whether it was connected or not for when investigators turned up to look at the crashed helicopter?” he asked.
“I don’t believe so,” Mr Purcell replied.
“Tell me one thing that you’re looking for in that area, with your experience as a pilot, that might have been able to tell you how the helicopter crashed?” Mr Gullaci asked.
“I’m not an investigator so I don’t know,” Mr Purcell replied.
4h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 2:03am
Morning tea
The jury has taken the morning break.
We’ll be back with you with more in about half an hour.
4h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 2:02amCourt played secret phone call: ‘Something had gone on with the Hobbs’
Jurors have been played a secretly recorded phone call between Matt Wright and crocodile egg collector and helicopter pilot Jock Purcell.
On it, Mr Wright is allegedly heard to say several months after the crash “the Hobbs had been touched”.
“Something had gone on with the Hobbs there, I dunno, they’ve moved it forward or some f***in’ thing as well,” he says.
“Just going through a few motions there, just don’t know exactly what, and I’m just trying to think how much, or what Sebby‘s tried to say to them if anything even.”
On the stand, Mr Purcell says he can’t remember the call or whether it related to any investigation into the crash.
“It’s three years ago, I can’t remember, mate,” he said.
4h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 1:42amChopper pilot ‘saw Matt Wright disconnect flight recorder’
Helicopter pilot and crocodile egg collector Jock Purcell says he “regularly” flew multiple helicopters belonging to Matt Wright while he worked for him, including the one that eventually crashed.
When Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC asked Mr Purcell if he had ever failed to record flights in the helicopters’ maintenance release, he refused to answer.
After receiving a certificate under the Evidence Act from Justice Alan Blow, Mr Gullaci asked the question again and this time he answered “yes”.
“Was it more than 10 times?” Mr Gullaci asked.
“Yes,” Mr Purcell replied.
“Was it more than 30 times?”
“Yeah, I dunno.”
Mr Purcell initially said he couldn’t remember discussing that with Mr Wright but later said he “probably” did “at some point”.
But he said he didn’t have conversations with Mr Wright in the days or weeks after a flight about trying to “reconstruct” the records.
He also agreed there had been times when the helicopter’s Hobbs meter flight recorder was disconnected “because it was getting close to service”.
“The 50-hour or 100-hour service was coming up,” he said.
“Did you yourself ever disconnect the Hobbs meter flying for Mr Wright?” Mr Gullaci asked.
“Yes,” Mr Purcell replied.
“Did you ever see Mr Wright disconnect the Hobbs meter on one of his helicopters?”
“Yes, it happened, yeah.”
4h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 1:26am
Egg collectors arrive at the crash scene
Crocodile egg collector Jock Purcell says after the group lost contact with Sebastian Robinson and Chris Wilson, Michael Burbidge then went to look for them.
When they then lost contact with Mr Burbidge, Mr Purcell says he and fellow egg collector Timothy Luck joined Ty Richardson in his helicopter to go look for him.
The trio landed at the scene of the crash and got out to assist until CareFlight arrived before Matt Wright arrived with Mick Burns and Neil Mellon.
He says when he looked around he could see “an impact point where a [helicopter] blade had apparently hit a tree”.
But Mr Purcell says he didn’t look in the downed helicopter’s fuel tank or see anyone else doing so.
He says he didn’t approach the crashed helicopter at all and doesn’t remember seeing anyone else approach it.
“I know headsets were removed,” he said.
5h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 1:10amEgg collector Monday’s first witness
The first witness for today is helicopter pilot and crocodile egg collector Jock Purcell who worked for Matt Wight in both capacities for several years in the lead up to the fatal crash.
Mr Purcell says he also worked as an airboat driver and tour guide in another of Mr Wright‘s businesses.
He says he both collected eggs while slung underneath a helicopter and piloted helicopters while others were slung underneath to collect eggs.
On the day of the crash, Mr Purcell says he was flying in Ty “Mudcrab” Richardon‘s helicopter, which was the only helicopter he saw refueling at Noonamah that morning.
“I remember Ty Richardson landing between the fuel drums and the road fence and pulling the fuel hose out to him and that was it,” he said.
5h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 1:04amA recap of the trial so far
If you missed our coverage last week, here’s a quick summary to get you up to speed.
Matt Wright has pleaded not guilty to all three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The charges relate to his alleged behaviour following a fatal chopper crash, which killed co-star Chris Wilson and seriously injured pilot Sebastian Robinson.
So far, the jury has heard from five witnesses:
- Crocodile farmer Mick Burns
- Former NT Police officer Neil Mellon
- Helicopter pilot Michael Burbidge
- Crocodile egg collector Timothy Luck
- Helicopter pilot Ty Richardson
Mick Burns said he was handed Sebastian Robinson‘s phone at the crash site, and later gave it to Mr Robinson’s mother.
Neil Mellon said he gave Chris Wilson‘s phone to Mick Burbidge, who told the court he disposed of it.
The jury was played a secret recording between Mr Burbidge and Mr Wright, in which Mr Burbidge can be heard urging Mr Wright to review the crashed helicopter’s log book.
Timothy Luck said he was “confident” he filled up Mr Robinson and Mr Wilson‘s helicopter with fuel at Mount Borradaile on the day of the crash.
Ty Richardson said he didn’t see anyone go into the cockpit of the downed helicopter, nor see it being refueled at Mount Borradaile.
5h agoMon 11 Aug 2025 at 12:57am
Week two begins
Welcome back for the second week of evidence in Netflix star Matt Wright‘s trial on three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Mr Wright has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
ABC court reporter Jason Walls with you again from the Supreme Court in Darwin with all our live coverage of the day.
Court is again in session with the next witness due to be called shortly.