A man from Trowbridge has been jailed for 8 months for shining a laser at a police helicopter earlier this year.
The National Police Air Service was searching for a high-risk missing person at about 1am on 19th March when a green laser was shone several times at the helicopter and into the cockpit, dazzling and distracting the pilot.
Consequently the pilot couldn't read his instruments and was forced to abandon the job they had been tasked to.
The pilot was able to pinpoint where the laser had been shone from and officers went to the address where they found the laser.
Nicholas Mutter, 41, of Swift Drive in Trowbridge, was arrested and charged. He appeared at Salisbury Crown Court yesterday (29/7) after pleading guilty to shining a laser beam towards an aircraft.
Investigating officer PS Evangeline Templar said: “Mutter’s actions were incredibly reckless and dangerous, putting not only the life of the crew at risk but also the general public.
“The pilot at the time was tasked with helping to search for a high-risk missing person, where there may be a concern for the missing person’s life.
“Mutter’s irresponsible actions forced the pilot to call off his mission, therefore also potentially putting at risk the life of the person the crew was tasked with trying to find.
“I am pleased that Mutter was able to be swiftly arrested and sentenced. We take this kind of behaviour incredibly seriously and won’t hesitate to ensure culprits face justice for it.”
Captain Paul Watts, Head of Flight Operations at NPAS, said: “The danger caused by lasers, not only to our air crew but also to the public, cannot be stressed enough.
“Anything that distracts a pilot, whilst airborne, is a huge risk to safety.
“Our sophisticated camera and mapping systems on board all our aircraft allow us to pinpoint exactly where a laser is coming from and we will report this to local police. We will always pursue prosecution through the courts. Anyone foolhardy or reckless enough to consider shining a laser at an air crew should expect to face court, and potentially a prison sentence.”
Want to know what’s on in Calne? Visit our local events page for listings and to find out how to add your own events for free. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news. Have you got a story for us? Email editor@calnenews.com or contact us here.
