Matt Wright: Close friend denies colluding with Outback Wrangler star in ‘cover-up’

A close friend of Matt Wright has denied colluding with the reality TV star to cover up faked helicopter flying hour records following a fatal crash.

Jai Tomlinson told a Supreme Court jury in Darwin on Thursday he couldn’t recall talking with Wright about the February 2022 crash, despite covert recordings suggesting they did.

He denied destroying a maintenance release on the request of Wright and repeatedly responded to questions from crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC by saying “I don’t remember”.

Wright, the star of Outback Wrangler, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The charges follow the chopper crash that killed Wright’s friend and co-star Chris “Willow” Wilson on a crocodile-egg collecting mission in the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land.

Pilot Sebastian Robinson, 32, was left a paraplegic.

Prosecutors allege Wright was worried investigators would learn his choppers’ flying-hour meters were regularly disconnected to extend flying hours beyond official thresholds and that paperwork was falsified.

The charges against Wright do not relate to the cause of the accident and the prosecution does not allege he is responsible for the crash, Mr Wilson’s death or Mr Robinson’s injuries.

Mr Tomlinson on Thursday told the court he thought a car accident in 2016 had affected his memory.

“I don’t think back on the past ... I’m always looking forward,” he said.

The 45-year-old construction contractor and helicopter pilot was played secretly recorded conversations between him and Wright at the reality TV star’s home in Darwin in September 2022.

Mr Tomlinson told the court he could not remember the conversations or the context of them but did agree the recorded voices sounded like him and Wright.

Under questioning by Mr Gullaci, Mr Tomlinson denied destroying documents for Wright or being aware his pilots under-reported flying hours, disconnected Hobbs flying-hour meters and faked maintenance releases.

He said he couldn’t remember if Wright had told him he was worried the Civil Aviation Safety Authority was closing in and wanted documents.

When asked about a secret recording of Wright saying the pressure was being put on and people might “start squealing”, Mr Tomlinson said his only understanding of “squealing” was his daughters’ yelling.

But Mr Gullaci put it to Mr Tomlinson that it was nonsensical that at the age of 45 he did not understand that “squealing” could also refer to dobbing someone in.

The prosecutor accused Mr Tomlinson of lying about that to avoid implicating Wright out of loyalty to his friend.

“You know very well ‘squealing’ means giving someone up.”

Mr Gullaci also accused the witness of hiding behind his constant “I can’t remember” answers to avoid giving evidence that “hurts your buddy Matt Wright”.

Mr Tomlinson replied he was not lying or being evasive, and denied he and Wright were secretly taped “talking strategy” on how to cover up aviation safety breaches.

The trial continues.