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 a 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 said Wright had shown no remorse but was very unlikely to reoffend in any significant way in the future. The maximum sentence for his charges was 15 years in prison.

The jury could not agree on a verdict for a third charge that alleged Wright asked someone to torch evidence.

Wright's lawyers indicated previously that they planned to appeal the guilty verdicts.

The judge pointed to mitigating factors in deciding the length of his jail term, including his contribution to the community.

The NT Supreme Court case centered around a helicopter crash in February 2022 in Arnhem Land, about 500km (310 miles) east of Darwin.

Wright's friend and Outback Wrangler co-star Chris Willow Wilson was killed.

The pilot Sebastian Robinson was seriously injured, suffering punctured lungs and a severe brain injury.

During the month-long trial, prosecutors told the court that Wright had lied to police about how much fuel was in the helicopter's tank when it plummeted to the ground.

The evidence included secret recordings of Wright's conversations which contradicted his claims that the fuel tank was half full when asked in police interviews.

Wright was also accused of pressuring Mr. Robinson to change flight records that showed how many hours the aircraft had flown.

The crash raised concerns about the practices within the helicopter community, as it was revealed that manipulating flight hour records was widespread.

Wright is well-known for his shows on National Geographic and Netflix, where he built a reputation as a respected figure in wildlife tourism.