A ‘stupid and selfish’ Radcliffe man has been jailed for shining a laser into a police helicopter that temporarily blinded the pilot and put lives at risk.
Andrew Paul Holden, 47, was sentenced to six months behind bars, after pleading guilty to endangering a National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter in October 2014.
At around 1.20am on October 13, Holden recklessly shone his laser into the cockpit of the aircraft which resulted in the pilot being temporary blinded by the powerful light – endangering the lives of the public and those onboard the aircraft.
Captain Robert Grainger, who was flying the helicopter, explained: “The consequences of targeting an aircraft can be horrendous.
“During this incident I had to ensure the safety of my passengers, the general public and myself, whilst being disorientated by the intense light.”
Fortunately, no one was injured from Holden’s irresponsible actions, however Captain Grainger pointed out that this was a regular issue that pilots deal with.
He said: “Sadly and frustratingly, this is not a one off event. I hope that the sentence handed down reflects the severity of such foolish and reckless actions and will serve as a deterrent to others.”
Tactical Flight Officer, PC Andy Shaw, explained how incidents involving laser misuse strongly affected the efficiency of police air services.
PC Shaw said: “As a result of one person’s stupid and selfish actions we had to stop our original tasking, meaning the valuable resource of the NPAS helicopter was taken away from supporting officers on the ground.
“Fortunately, on this occasion it didn’t greatly impact on the incident we were dealing with or have any significant impact on the public, but we could have been involved in an incident whereby someone’s life was in danger.
“Additionally shining a laser into a helicopter could have itself had catastrophic consequences.
“The technology on board our helicopter means we are able to track individuals quite easily and as this case shows those involved in such activity will be caught and prosecuted.”
Image courtesy of Ingy the wingy via FlickR, with thanks.
