[Peetwo]

Fort Fumble non-transparent FOI disclosure log finally updated?? -   

I note that in recent days the CASA FOI disclosure log has been finally updated with entries starting from the 4 March  to 2 July now being included. I also note that the log has been re-formatted and bizarrely all the previous released document' PDF links have been erased and there is no direct links to any of the recent released FOI documents (see HERE), so much for increased government transparency?? - 

Within the log there is a number of entries associated with the Croc-o-shite cover-up report and the directly associated Broome R44 fatal prang:

CASA documentation regarding accident that took place on 4 July 2020 in Broome, WA/ 2 July 2024 / The CASA report pertaining to the investigation, findings and conclusions regarding the accident that took place on 4 July 2020 in Broome, WA. Exemption(s) applied: s47F

Reports and related documents regarding VH-NBY/ 22 April 2024 / Investigations, reports, submissions and information provided to the WA Coroner in relation to VH-NBY in Broome on 4 July 2020. Exemption(s) applied: s47F, s46, s47B

Investigations or reports by the Industry Complaints Commissioner / 4 March 2024 / A copy of any investigations or reports by the Industry Complaints Commissioner that relate to, or include reference to, Human External Cargo (HEC) operations, crocodile egg collecting, CASA.CARRY instruments, Helibrook, Matt Wright, Michael (Mick) Burns, Michael Bridge, Chris Wilson or VH-IDW. Exemption(s) applied: s47F, s47G

It is not hard to work out that these particular associated FOI (now not publicly available) released documents are all from FOI applications from investigative journalist Kristin Shorten, more power to her keyboard...

On Kristin Shorten's good work, here is her latest Croc-o-shite article:
 

Neil Mellon: Decorated veteran cop jailed after Outback Wrangler helicopter crash exposed string of offences
Kristin Shorten
THE NIGHTLY
7 MIN READ
19 JUL 2024

Veteran NT police officer Neil Mellon was jailed for his actions at the scene of a deadly helicopter crash, along with a string of additional offences. Credit: The Nightly

A decorated veteran cop — arrested over the fatal chopper crash that killed Netflix star Chris Wilson — has been jailed for a spate of serious offences including destroying a dead friend’s phone and providing confidential information about a domestic violence case.

Former Northern Territory Police officer Neil Ryan Mellon was jailed last week after being handed an eight-month sentence, suspended after three months, and a $3050 fine.

Judge Tanya Fong Lim has since released the Statement of Facts, which contains explosive revelations about what happened at the helicopter crash site and Mellon’s repeated offending in the months following the tragedy.

Wilson — who starred on reality television shows including Outback Wrangler and Wild Croc Territory — was killed when the chopper he was slinging beneath crashed in a remote part of West Arnhem Land during a crocodile egg collecting mission in February 2022.

The destroyed Robinson R44 Raven II, registered VH-IDW, was owned and operated by Matt Wright’s company Helibrook and contracted to Mick Burns’ company Wildlife Harvesting NT.

It was being flown by Sebastian Robinson who suffered severe spinal injuries and is now paraplegic.

Mellon’s co-offender Michael Keith Burbidge, who was flying another helicopter on the egg collecting mission, located the wreckage of VH-IDW, Wilson deceased and the critically injured pilot at 10.36am.

Later that morning Mellon, who was off-duty, became aware of the crash and flew to the site with Mr Burns and Mr Wright.

“The defendant attended the crash scene of his own volition. He was not directed there in any official police capacity,” court documents state.

“Having assessed the crash site, the defendant immediately established a crime scene and began taking charge of securing relevant evidence.

“The defendant decided to place the deceased in a body bag. The defendant seized and secured a pistol from the right-hand hip of Wilson. The defendant unzipped the top pocket of the vest of Wilson and removed a mobile phone belonging to Wilson.”

At this time, Mellon heard Burbidge say words to the effect of: “Dani does not need to see what is on that phone”.

“Burns also confirmed Burbidge’s assertion that the phone contained information that didn’t need to be known,” the facts state.

Mellon then handed the phone to Burbidge, who — unbeknown to Mellon — threw it into the ocean that afternoon.

While at the scene, Mellon took photos, measured distances between the deceased and the helicopter, made observations and took recordings.

“While doing this, he noted that Burbidge, Wright and (pilot Jock) Purcell had unscrewed and lifted the console from within the aircraft and he heard someone say words to the effect ‘Yep, it’s plugged in’,” the documents state.

The Nightly understands this refers to the helicopter’s Hobbs meter, which measures the time that an aircraft is in use.

That afternoon Mellon flew back to Darwin in Burbidge’s helicopter to inform Wilson’s widow Danielle about the circumstances of the crash.

A couple of days later, on March 2, Mellon provided a statement to detectives investigating the crash but did not mention Wilson’s phone or what had occurred with the helicopter’s console.

In July 2022, Mellon asked Burbidge “Is that phone retrievable?” to which Burbidge responded, “It’s gone”.

Mellon replied: “It’s gone? Can we get it?”

Burbidge then disclosed “It’s in the ocean”.

Realising it was crucial evidence, the veteran cop responded: “Are you fucking kidding me?”

The following month, in August 2022, the acting senior sergeant was arrested one morning as he arrived at work.

The experienced police officer, who had spent 17 years in the Territory Response Group, was the Northern Watch Commander at the time.

The 47-year-old, who had joined the NT Police in 1995, was charged with dozens of offences.

The most serious — conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and the destruction of evidence — related to the police investigation into the fatal helicopter crash.

After his arrest, Mellon told police what he had done with the phone and what he had omitted in his first statement.

“Unknown to the defendant was that Burbidge, in a later record of interview to police, stated that he really had no foundation in which to believe that the deceased had engaged in affairs, or had material relevant to having engaged in affairs, that he expected to find on Wilson’s phone.”

In December, Mellon pleaded guilty to destroying evidence.

Mellon’s barrister Sally Ozolins argued her client was less culpable for this offence because he did not destroy the phone himself.

But senior crown prosecutor Steve Ledek submitted Mellon was more culpable because he was a police officer and knew that the phone could contain relevant data for any investigation into the crash.

During sentencing, Judge Fong Lim said handing the phone to Burbidge, knowing that data or the phone itself might be destroyed, was “not an action which you would expect of a senior police officer whose apparent motivation was to preserve the scene”.

“The cavalier approach the defendant took to handing over pieces of evidence at the crime scene cannot be explained by his emotional state at the time,” she said.

“These are the actions of someone who is being less than honest in a police investigation.

“Only when he knew he was in trouble, (did) he decide to disclose his involvement.”

Mellon also pleaded guilty to a raft of other offences that occurred in 2022 between the February helicopter crash and his August arrest. They include six counts of Disclosure of Confidential Information.

The first incident occurred on May 9, 2022, after he received a text message from Mr Wright, asking about a domestic violence incident police had responded to the previous day.

“One of the parties involved in the incident was a former employee of Wright,” the facts state.

“The defendant made enquiries within his social network to obtain contact phone numbers for both parties to the incident.”

Mellon then called each of the parties to the incident, identified himself as a police officer and questioned them about it.

He also phoned a colleague, who was of a lower rank, to obtain information about the incident.

“At 6.54pm the defendant telephoned Wright and disclosed confidential information he had obtained … regarding the incident,” court documents state.

“The information disclosed included the contents of police alerts, actions taken by police, the issuing of a DVO and the detention of an individual for a mental health assessment.

“The defendant intentionally disclosed confidential information concerning persons involved in a domestic violence incident to Wright who had no authority or lawful reason to receive information concerning NT Police operations.”

On separate occasions, Mellon provided confidential information about individuals and police investigations to friends and associates including Kevin Quinlan, Stephan Jose and Michael Lymberis.

“The facts show he was a senior police officer who did not think the law applied to him,” Judge Fong Lim said during sentencing.

“He was willing to do favours for friends without a mind for the consequences for others and he was willing to use his rank and friendships to his own advantage.

“The disclosure of information in a domestic violence matter, not knowing what that information would be used for, may well have created risk for a victim or a protected person of domestic violence.”

Mellon pleaded guilty to obtaining a benefit by deception after asking a friend and colleague, Senior Constable First Class Karl Bauman, to backdate police training records to show that he was current in his Defensive Tactics qualification when he wasn’t so that he could apply for a promotion.

“The defendant did not ultimately achieve that promotion because of an anomaly that related to the imputation of the police record, provided by Bauman, was detected and his later arrest and prosecution,” the facts state.

Judge Fong Lim said Mellon “not only put his friend at risk of criminal prosecution but also put him at risk of demotion, which in fact occurred”.

“The defendant had little regard for that person’s future. Only of his own selfish gain,” she said.

As a result of the forgery, Sen-Const Bauman was charged with obtaining benefit by deception but the case was later withdrawn with the decorated officer being disciplined instead.

Mellon also pleaded guilty to a raft of weapons, firearms and wildlife offences, including the possession of saltwater crocodile skulls without a valid permit, which stemmed from a search executed on his Darwin home and workplace locker.

“Again this proves the defendant is a man who thought he was above the law,” Judge Fong Lim said.

“It is my view he’s allowed the power of being a senior police officer to go to his head.”

Mr Mellon is due for release from prison in October and will be subject to a 12-month good behaviour bond.

Burbidge, Mellon’s co-accused, was recently convicted and fined $15,000 for destroying Wilson’s phone. The Director of Public Prosecutions has since launched an appeal of Burbidge’s sentence on the grounds it is “manifestly inadequate”.

Mr Wright declined to comment on Thursday when asked about his request to Mellon for confidential information and alleged tampering with the helicopter’s console at the crash site.

I also note that I missed this previous associated KS article...

 

CASA takes action against NT pilots following a years-long probe into fatal Outback Wrangler chopper crash

Kristin Shorten
THE NIGHTLY
4 MIN READ
17 JUN 2024




The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has quietly launched enforcement action against at least six pilots following the Northern Territory chopper crash that killed Netflix star Chris Wilson.

Almost two and a half years after the fatal crash, CASA is understood to have recently issued at least one counselling notice, at least one aviation infringement notice and multiple ‘show cause’ notices to vary, suspend or cancel a pilot’s licence or Air Operator’s Certificate.

Wilson — who starred on reality television shows including Outback Wrangler and Wild Croc Territory — was killed in February 2022 when the helicopter he was slinging beneath crashed in a remote part of West Arnhem Land during a crocodile egg collecting mission. Pilot Sebastian Robinson was critically injured and is now paraplegic.

The destroyed Robinson R44 Raven II registered VH-IDW, was owned and operated by celebrity croc-wrangler Matt Wright’s company Helibrook Pty Ltd.

Last year — after charging three men with offences related to the fabrication and destruction of evidence — NT Police revealed that it had shared a comprehensive investigation file into the fatal crash with CASA, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, NT WorkSafe and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The file included maintenance and fuel records, expert opinions concerning the fuel system and airworthiness of the stricken aircraft, and toxicology analyses of individuals involved in the crash.

In November, the ATSB published its 113-page final report into the accident, finding that the helicopter likely collided with terrain on the morning of February 28, 2022, because the pilot probably forgot to refuel it.

In February, the Territory’s workplace safety watchdog charged Wright and Helibrook with breaches of work health and safety laws over their alleged failures to “maintain safe aircraft” and for “allowing the aircraft to be operated when unsafe”.

“While the exact cause of the helicopter crash has not been determined by any regulatory agency, and there is insufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case to lay charges in relation to the crash at this point in time, NT WorkSafe’s investigation has found sufficient evidence to allege Helibrook Pty Ltd and Mr Wright engaged in conduct intended to falsify the actual number of flight hours accrued by the aircraft in the Helibrook fleet over an extended period of time,” a spokesperson said.

NT WorkSafe charged both Wright and Helibrook, which voluntarily ceased operating after the fatal crash, with two counts of reckless conduct.

CASA has also been investigating a number of matters — stemming from the fatal crash — since early 2022 but has repeatedly declined to reveal what, if any, enforcement action it has taken as a result of its findings.

“We do not comment on individual enforcement activities due to privacy,” a CASA spokesperson said on Monday.

In April, CASA said it could not comment on any enforcement action taken since the crash “given ongoing legal proceedings”.

However, The Nightly understands enforcement action is now underway.

This includes the issuing of ‘show cause notices’, which informs the holder of a civil aviation authorisation why CASA believes it has reason to vary, suspend or cancel their authorisation and invites the recipient to argue in response why it should not do so.

CASA has also issued aviation infringement notices, which can involve a fine of up to $1565, and counselling notices, which are designed to “encourage” a pilot to comply with legislative requirements.

Individuals and authorisation holders can appeal CASA’s enforcement decisions in an external forum such as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal or the Federal Court.

In a statement on its website, CASA said it has “zero tolerance for serious, wilful or repeated disregard of the aviation rules”.

“Serious breaches of the Civil Aviation Act and the Regulations may involve the commission of a criminal offence,” it said.

“In those cases, we may prepare a brief to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to decide whether to commence a criminal prosecution.

“We usually refer cases to the CDPP in cases involving breaches that are deliberate, show a reckless disregard for the rules, show a pattern of disregard for the rules or cause a significant risk to safety including by putting other people in danger.”

CASA refused to confirm whether it has referred any matters related to the fatal NT crash for criminal prosecution.

CASA has not published any enforcement decisions on its website since November 2021.

This week a CASA spokesperson said the agency plans to resume publication of enforcement action information on its website “early in the first quarter of fiscal 2025”.

Refer to Kristin Shorten's Nightly profile page to see all of her published Croc-o-shite articles - see HERE.

MTF...P2