Broke Outback Wrangler saddles up to defend lawsuit
Australian Outback Wrangler Matt Wright is broke and preparing to defend himself when he returns to court after firing his lawyers.
The star of popular TV shows Outback Wrangler and Wild Croc Territory is behind bars in Darwin, serving a five-month prison sentence for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
But the Netflix star is set to take the reins of her next legal battle by defending a lawsuit filed by the widow of her best friend Chris “Willow” Wilson.
Wrangler’s leading man, Mr Wilson, died in a remote part of the Northern Territory in February 2022 after being suspended from a helicopter belonging to Wright while collecting crocodile eggs.
His widow, Danielle Wilson, brought a Federal Court action against Mr Wright, his company Helibrook and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in 2023 over the fatal helicopter crash.
The mother of two is seeking compensation for personal injury and loss of her husband’s income.
The case was sent back to the Federal Court for hearing on Thursday; Here the court was told Wright could not afford a lawyer and would undertake his own defense after terminating the employment of leading Sydney firm Gillis Delaney Solicitors.
Wrangler’s former attorney, David Newey of Gillis Delaney, officially withdrew after being terminated as Wright’s agent.
“I can say that going forward Mr Wright intends to represent himself,” Mr Newey told the court.
“He won’t hire lawyers and he doesn’t have the money to do so.”
Wright’s company, Helibrook, which is currently in liquidation, has also been sued in the Federal Court.
The court was asked to preserve the documents due to fears that Wright might tamper with evidence.
“Matthew Wright has demonstrated through the court a propensity to falsify critical aircraft records,” Ms Wilson’s lawyer told the court.
“He was actually convicted by the Northern Territory Supreme Court for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
“If Mr. Wright obtains these documents and gains personal control without anyone else having a copy, the risk of them not being discovered is very high and they are critical documents.”
In December Wright was sentenced to two 10-month prison sentences, suspended after serving five months, at a High Court hearing for attempting to pervert the course of justice following the fatal crash.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s report on the accident revealed that the helicopter’s engine stopped during flight due to lack of fuel.
During the emergency landing, pilot Sebastian Robinson released the hooks and the sling rope carrying Mr Wilson.
Mr Robinson, who survived the incident but was scarred for life, was found to have failed to refuel when required and had traces of cocaine in his system.
The former pilot and Wilson’s friend, who arrived at the scene immediately after the crash, was later convicted and fined $15,000 for destroying the Netflix series star’s mobile phone.
On Thursday, Judge Elizabeth Raper postponed the matter until March 27 to allow Wright to attend future hearings.
The latest blow comes after Wrangler was fined $10,000 in early February for landing its helicopter in its backyard in a rural Darwin area in 2024.
Wright pleaded guilty to contravening planning permission in Darwin Local Court as the extent of Wrangler’s finances was revealed.
The defense team appealed for leniency after the “financially devastating” hearing in the High Court.
Darwin Local Court Judge Greg Macdonald accepted that after Wright’s “spectacular fall”, Wright’s world “became a quagmire” of legal conflicts and disagreements.
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