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Chopper crash pilot Sebastian Robinson was seen using cocaine just once by his brother — at a bucks party on Matt Wright’s boat, the jury in a celebrity croc-wrangler’s trial has heard.
Zachary Chellingworth testified at the trial of Outback Wrangler host Matt Wright, who is accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice over the chopper crash which killed his Netflix co-star Chris Wilson.
Under cross examination Mr Chellingworth admitted his brother had used cocaine but he “cannot name the time” three times.
“I was aware of my brother’s cocaine use . . . that it was few and far between,” he said
“He did not take drugs on a regular occasion. I’m his big brother so I know.”
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Mr Wright’s lawyer David Edwardson KC insisted the witness reveal the time and place he had seen Mr Robinson consume cocaine.
“It was my bucks party on Matt Wright’s boat,” he said, which was in 2016.
Earlier Mr Chellingworth, a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer for CareFlight, recalled the morning he discovered his brother had been involved in a fatal crash.
“I received a phone call from mum, and she was quite distraught, telling me that Sebastian had been in an accident,” he said.
“Pretty much my colleagues have been dispatched to the site.”
The court heard that Mr Robinson lived in a cottage on the sprawling Darwin property of Wild Harvest NT director Mick Burns, who had contracted the egg collecting mission. Mr Robinson’s hangar is also on Mr Burns’ property.
Mr Chellingworth told the jury that after the crash, Mr Burns informed him and his mother that Mr Wright had “collected the logbooks” from Mr Robinson’s home.
“Mick Burns had notified myself and mum that Matt Wright had collected the log books from Mick Burns’ residence, which is where Sebastian lives, and he (Mr Wright) had given them to a pilot named Jock Purcell and Jock Purcell held on to them,” he said.
Mr Chellingworth said that after being told this, he went to Mr Purcell’s home – about a week after the crash – to retrieve the logbooks.
He said Mr Purcell was not home when he arrived but his wife handed them over.
“It was Sebastian’s aircraft log book,” he said.
“It was in between A4 and A5 size, (inaudible) backing and gold writing.
“Every time Seb flies, he logs it in that logbook.”
Soon after, Mr Chellingworth visited Mr Robinson at the Royal Brisbane Hospital where Matt Wright is accused of pressuring the pilot to falsify flight records after the crash.
He confirmed COVID restrictions were in place and he had to provide proof of vaccination to gain entry to the hospital.
Mr Chellingworth said he was in his brother’s private hospital room when Mr Wright arrived at the hospital with his wife Kaia and their young son to visit.
He told the court that he stayed in the room throughout the Wrights’ hour-long visit.
“He (Mr Wright) was carrying some type of documentation,” Mr Chellingworth said.
“Matt Wright had said to Sebastian ‘I need you to take 15 to 20 hours off IDW, the crash helicopter, and put them onto (his own helicopter) ZXZ’ because they were hours unaccounted for.
“Sebastian responded and he said ‘no’.
“He (Mr Wright) said, ‘it’s OK if you don’t want to do it and we’ll find another way’.”
Mr Chellingworth said Mr Wright also asked his brother to delete any texts, videos, notes and phone calls in relation to the crash.
“No he did not physically get hold of the phone,” he said.
“He asked Sebastian to delete things.
“Sebastian disagreed.”
Mr Chellingworth said the rest of the conversation was “general chit chat about the helicopter and the accident”.
He did not recall Mr Wright leaving any documents at the hospital.
Mr Edwardson accused Mr Chellingworth of inventing his claims about Mr Wright’s alleged actions during the March 11 hospital visit to protect his sibling.
“You, your mother and brother (Mr Robinson) have manufactured these claims against Matt Wright,” the lawyer suggested to the witness.
“You’re making it up as you go along, aren’t you?”
Mr Chellingworth replied, “it’s not true”.
“I’m telling the truth,” he said.
The trial before Acting Justice Alan Blow continues.
Chopper crash pilot Sebastian Robinson was seen using cocaine just once by his brother — at a bucks party on Matt Wright’s boat, the jury in a celebrity croc-wrangler’s trial has heard.
Zachary Chellingworth testified at the trial of Outback Wrangler host Matt Wright, who is accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice over the chopper crash which killed his Netflix co-star Chris Wilson.
Under cross examination Mr Chellingworth admitted his brother had used cocaine but he “cannot name the time” three times.
“I was aware of my brother’s cocaine use . . . that it was few and far between,” he said
“He did not take drugs on a regular occasion. I’m his big brother so I know.”
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Sign up
Mr Wright’s lawyer David Edwardson KC insisted the witness reveal the time and place he had seen Mr Robinson consume cocaine.
“It was my bucks party on Matt Wright’s boat,” he said, which was in 2016.
Earlier Mr Chellingworth, a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer for CareFlight, recalled the morning he discovered his brother had been involved in a fatal crash.
“I received a phone call from mum, and she was quite distraught, telling me that Sebastian had been in an accident,” he said.
“Pretty much my colleagues have been dispatched to the site.”
The court heard that Mr Robinson lived in a cottage on the sprawling Darwin property of Wild Harvest NT director Mick Burns, who had contracted the egg collecting mission. Mr Robinson’s hangar is also on Mr Burns’ property.
Mr Chellingworth told the jury that after the crash, Mr Burns informed him and his mother that Mr Wright had “collected the logbooks” from Mr Robinson’s home.
“Mick Burns had notified myself and mum that Matt Wright had collected the log books from Mick Burns’ residence, which is where Sebastian lives, and he (Mr Wright) had given them to a pilot named Jock Purcell and Jock Purcell held on to them,” he said.
Mr Chellingworth said that after being told this, he went to Mr Purcell’s home – about a week after the crash – to retrieve the logbooks.
He said Mr Purcell was not home when he arrived but his wife handed them over.
“It was Sebastian’s aircraft log book,” he said.
“It was in between A4 and A5 size, (inaudible) backing and gold writing.
“Every time Seb flies, he logs it in that logbook.”
Soon after, Mr Chellingworth visited Mr Robinson at the Royal Brisbane Hospital where Matt Wright is accused of pressuring the pilot to falsify flight records after the crash.
He confirmed COVID restrictions were in place and he had to provide proof of vaccination to gain entry to the hospital.
Mr Chellingworth said he was in his brother’s private hospital room when Mr Wright arrived at the hospital with his wife Kaia and their young son to visit.
He told the court that he stayed in the room throughout the Wrights’ hour-long visit.
“He (Mr Wright) was carrying some type of documentation,” Mr Chellingworth said.
“Matt Wright had said to Sebastian ‘I need you to take 15 to 20 hours off IDW, the crash helicopter, and put them onto (his own helicopter) ZXZ’ because they were hours unaccounted for.
“Sebastian responded and he said ‘no’.
“He (Mr Wright) said, ‘it’s OK if you don’t want to do it and we’ll find another way’.”
Mr Chellingworth said Mr Wright also asked his brother to delete any texts, videos, notes and phone calls in relation to the crash.
“No he did not physically get hold of the phone,” he said.
“He asked Sebastian to delete things.
“Sebastian disagreed.”
Mr Chellingworth said the rest of the conversation was “general chit chat about the helicopter and the accident”.
He did not recall Mr Wright leaving any documents at the hospital.
Mr Edwardson accused Mr Chellingworth of inventing his claims about Mr Wright’s alleged actions during the March 11 hospital visit to protect his sibling.
“You, your mother and brother (Mr Robinson) have manufactured these claims against Matt Wright,” the lawyer suggested to the witness.
“You’re making it up as you go along, aren’t you?”
Mr Chellingworth replied, “it’s not true”.
“I’m telling the truth,” he said.
The trial before Acting Justice Alan Blow continues.
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