Michael Burbidge has been fined $15,000 for destroying Chris 'Willow' Wilson's phone after the Netflix star's death in a helicopter crash in February 2022, as details of the crash aftermath are made public for the first time.
Michael Burbidge has been sentenced for destroying evidence after a chopper crash that killed Netflix star Chris "Willow" Wilson
Bush pilot Michael Keith Burbidge has been fined $15,000 for destruction of evidence, for disposing of the phone of Chris "Willow" Wilson following the Netflix star's death in a helicopter crash in 2022.Mr Wilson, 34, died on February 28, 2022 when the Robinson R44 helicopter he was travelling in crashed during a saltwater crocodile egg-collecting mission in West Arnhem Land in the remote Northern Territory.
"The defendant landed his aircraft and observed Wilson to be deceased and Robinson with serious injuries."The document said after Burbidge gave first aid to Mr Robinson and called CareFlight and police, three other men — Wild Harvest Northern Territory director Michael Burns and Burbidge's two co-accused, Mr Wright and former NT police officer Neil Mellon — arrived at the scene.
Mr Ledek also said there was no evidence to prove the data on Mr Wilson's phone could have caused him or his widow reputational damage.Burbidge's defence lawyer Matthew Johnson said his client's conduct was "an error of judgement that occurred in a very long, stressful and emotionally taxing day". "Mr Burbidge claims he destroyed the phone out of loyalty to his dead friend, in an attempt to protect his reputation and to protect his widow, from whatever was on that phone," she said.