Secret police recordings used in Matt Wright's trial released to the media

Secretly recorded phone calls and conversations central to the criminal case against celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright have been released to the media. Wright, known for his appearances on Netflix, had previously served five months in prison for attempting to interfere with the investigation into a helicopter accident that killed co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson and injured pilot Sebastian Robinson in February 2022.

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In your estimation, how much fuel was left there?

Wright was convicted last August of two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count. The court has now released 14 audio recordings that were key to the prosecution's case, including Wright's initial interview with police and intercepted phone calls with associates.

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Maybe half a tank.

During his first police interview, just three days after the crash, Wright was asked about the helicopter's fuel. He estimated "maybe half a tank" remained. However, prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC argued during the trial that Wright knew "bugger all" about the fuel and was attempting to mislead investigators. Acting Justice Alan Blow stated that Wright's "primary motive" for lying was to "protect" the pilot, Sebastian Robinson, from prosecution, calling the lies "spontaneous and unplanned."

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In my view, protecting Mr Robinson was your primary motive for twice telling police there was fuel in the tank.

The recordings also capture Wright's reaction upon learning of the accident. He recounts a conversation with Mick Burns, who asked if he had heard about an accident, to which Wright initially replied no, before Burns mentioned CareFlight had been called to the site where "the boys" were. Communication was limited, and details were scarce.

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You lied to protect a mate … your lies were spontaneous and unplanned.