Outback Wrangler Matt Wright released from prison hours after birth of son

He served five months behind bars for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Reality television star Matt Wright has been released from jail after serving five months for attempting to pervert the course of justice following a fatal helicopter crash.

The 47-year-old just missed the birth of his third child, a son, on Mother’s Day on Sunday before he was released.

He has said he plans to appeal his conviction.

In the Supreme Court in Darwin on December 12, Acting Justice Alan Blow sentenced Wright to 10 months in prison, suspended after he serve five months, with a two-year good behaviour period.

Having served five months, Wright was eligible for release from the Darwin Correctional Centre on Monday.

A spokesman for the NT Department of Corrections said prisoner release information was not given out for privacy reasons.

But Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley has said Wright would be required to serve the full term imposed by the court, which expired on Monday.

News.com.au reported that Wright left prison around 6am on Monday, saying: “I’ve done my time, I’m continuing with my appeal and will keep fighting to bring to light the injustice that’s occurred.”

The outlet said he just missed the birth of his son, Sterling, by hours.

Wright’s lawyer, Luke Officer, said he knew his release was pending and he hoped to speak to him soon.

“He should be a free man,” he told AAP.

Wright posted a photo on Instagram with his family and newborn baby after his release saying he was finally home after “one hell of a fight”.

“Didn’t quite make the birth of our beautiful boy Sterling but @kaiawright1 did an incredible job,” he said.

The Outback Wrangler star lost his friend and co-star Chris “Willow” Wilson in the February 2022 crash that left pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic.

It happened during a crocodile-egg collecting trip in Arnhem Land while Wilson was slung on a line below a chopper to drop onto nests in remote swampland.

Wright was accused of lying to crash investigators about the amount of fuel in the machine, of trying to get Robinson to falsify flying hours, and of asking a friend to “torch” the helicopter’s maintenance release.

On August 29, a jury found Wright guilty on the first two counts but could not reach agreement on the third torching accusation.

Prosecutors alleged Wright was worried investigators would learn his choppers’ flying-hour meters were regularly disconnected to extend hours beyond official thresholds, with paperwork falsified to match.

The prosecution did not allege Wright caused the chopper crash, the death of Wilson or Robinson’s injuries.

Justice Blow said Wright made unlawful attempts to prevent charges being laid against him and his helicopter company Helibrook despite being the holder of an air-operating licence which carried safety obligations.

It was highly likely the helicopter that crashed should not have been flying after exceeding its maximum flight time of 2200 hours, at which it should have been retired or undergone a costly overhaul, the judge said.

“It is clear you had reason to fear that a thorough investigation might reveal that the 2200-hour limit had been exceeded,” he said.

The charge of trying to get Robinson to falsify flying-hour records by putting hours from the crashed chopper onto the pilot’s own machine was a “serious attempt to pervert the course of justice”, the judge said.

In sentencing he found Wright had contributed substantially to the community as a successful operator of tourist ventures and supporter of charities and conservation causes, noting impressive character references.

The adverse and widespread publicity surrounding Wright’s case had led to some of his businesses to the point of failure, the judge noted.