Celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright will spend five months in prison for tampering with evidence after a helicopter crash that killed his co-star and left the pilot paraplegic. In August, the former Netflix star was found guilty of lying to police and pressuring a hospitalized witness after the 2022 crash in the Northern Territory (NT).

On Friday, Acting Justice Alan Blow handed Wright a 10-month prison term, which will be suspended after he has served half of it. He was also fined A$5,000 ($3,300; £2,500).

Justice Blow stated Wright had shown no remorse but was likely not to reoffend significantly in the future. The maximum sentence for his charges was 15 years in prison.

The jury couldn't reach a verdict on a third charge alleging that Wright asked someone to 'torch' evidence.

Wright's lawyers indicated they plan to appeal the guilty verdicts. The judge considered mitigating factors including Wright's community contributions and positive character references.

The NT Supreme Court case centred around a helicopter crash in February 2022 in Arnhem Land, resulting in the tragic death of Wright's friend and co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson and severe injuries to pilot Sebastian Robinson.

Prosecutors revealed Wright's attempts to mislead the investigation by lying about fuel levels and pressuring Robinson to alter flight records during his hospital visits.

The trial uncovered systemic issues within the NT's helicopter community, where falsifying flight hours to avoid maintenance was commonplace. Wright's portrayal during the trial indicated that he was viewed as an influential figure by his peers.