By Olivana Lathouris
Copyright abc
Prosecutors have submitted a “complex” brief of evidence in a crocodile egg-stealing case against four men, including a pilot who survived the fatal helicopter crash at the centre of Matt Wright’s criminal trial.
Sebastian Robinson, Timothy Luck, Dean Larsen and Stephen Slark are facing Commonwealth charges alleging the “unauthorised taking” of eggs from Kakadu National Park in February 2024.
Mr Robinson and Mr Luck were both involved in the crocodile egg collecting mission that claimed the life of television personality Chris “Willow” Wilson in February 2022.
Mr Robinson was piloting the helicopter when it crashed and suffered lifelong injuries as a result, including paraplegia and a traumatic brain injury.
The crash was at the heart of Wright’s recent NT Supreme Court trial, where the celebrity crocodile wrangler was found guilty of attempting to obstruct the crash investigation.
During the trial, Mr Robinson gave evidence over several days via a video link from a wheelchair.
The ABC is not alleging any wrongdoing on behalf of Mr Robinson or Mr Luck in relation to the 2022 crash.
James Stuchbery, the lawyer representing the four co-accused, appeared in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday and told the judge he had received the brief of evidence late last week.
The lawyer told the court the brief included “purported DNA evidence” related to crocodile hatchlings and said the case involved a complicated set of allegations.
None of the four men were required to appear in court.
The company SDRL PTY LTD, which operates under the name Kinga Contracting and lists Mr Robinson as a director, is also facing one count of obtaining benefit by deception in relation to the case.
All charges were adjourned until November 25.
The allegations came about following a joint investigation by Parks Australia, the Australian Federal Police and the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission.
Crocodile egg collecting is a lucrative business in the NT and a growing industry across Australia.
The practice is done for various reasons, including conservation and commercial business operations.
It often involves a helicopter pilot lowering a collector into nests from the air via a sling, avoiding the need to walk through crocodile-inhabited waters.
In certain areas, egg collection requires approval from environmental authorities and traditional owners.
Kakadu, which is a UNESCO world heritage-listed site, is located about 150 kilometres east of Darwin.
The national park covers almost 20,000 square kilometres — including estuaries, flood plains and billabongs — and is home to an estimated 10 per cent of the Northern Territory’s crocodile population.
