URGENT UPDATE: The mother of pilot Sebastian Robinson, injured in a fatal helicopter crash, has firmly denied allegations that she and her family fabricated claims against reality TV star Matt Wright to shield her son. The trial is currently underway in Darwin Supreme Court, where Wright faces serious charges related to the incident.
The crash occurred in February 2022, resulting in the tragic death of Wright’s friend and co-star Chris “Willow” Wilson. Robinson, now 32, was left a paraplegic following the accident. Importantly, the charges against Wright do not implicate him in the cause of the crash or the fatalities involved.
Wright, the star of “Outback Wrangler,” has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Prosecutors allege that he sought to have Robinson falsify flying-hour records amid concerns that investigators would uncover discrepancies in flight-time meters and paperwork.
During the trial, Noelene Chellingworth, Robinson’s mother, testified that Wright visited her son at Royal Brisbane Hospital just 11 days post-crash. She claimed that Wright urged Robinson to transfer flying hours from the crashed helicopter to his own. “Sebastian said that he would think about it,” Chellingworth stated, adding that Robinson ultimately declined, stating he felt “not comfortable” with the request.
Chellingworth described a tense moment where she witnessed Wright telling her son to “delete, delete, delete” messages from his phone. When she confronted Wright about his demands, she reported that he dismissed her concerns, claiming he was “just cleaning up stuff.” This raised alarms for Chellingworth, who felt Wright was more concerned with protecting himself than with her son’s well-being.
In a heated cross-examination, defense counsel David Edwardson KC accused Chellingworth of fabricating her testimony, claiming Wright was merely helping Robinson with his paperwork obligations. The jury learned that Robinson’s flight records had not been updated, raising questions about procedural integrity following the crash.
In another twist, Chellingworth’s son, Zaccarie Chellingworth, also faced questioning regarding Wright’s hospital visit. He testified that Wright mentioned needing to reallocate hours from the crashed helicopter due to unaccounted flying time. When pressed about the potential implications of fuel exhaustion as a cause for the crash, Zaccarie denied any collusion within the family to shift blame to Wright.
The trial continues to draw attention as it unfolds, with significant implications for all parties involved. The emotional stakes are high, as Robinson’s injuries and Wilson’s death weigh heavily on the proceedings.
Stay tuned for further updates as this critical case develops, impacting not only those directly involved but also the broader aviation and entertainment communities.
