Man 'recklessly' shone laser at police helicopter

A man has been jailed after shining a laser beam at a police helicopter, forcing it to abandon a search for a high-risk missing person.

Nicholas Mutter, 41, of Swift Drive, Trowbridge, carried out the "reckless and dangerous" act on 19 March at about 01:00 GMT, Wiltshire Police said.

The green laser was shone multiple times into the cockpit, dazzling the pilot so he could not read the instruments needed for the job.

Mutter was sentenced on Monday at Salisbury Crown Court to eight months in prison, after pleading guilty to shining a laser beam towards an aircraft.

Head of flight operations at the National Police Air Service (NPAS), Capt Paul Watts, said: “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.

"Anyone foolhardy or reckless enough to consider shining a laser at an air crew should expect to face court, and potentially a prison sentence.”

The technology on board the helicopter meant the laser could be located as coming from the home on Swift Drive.

Officers quickly attended the property and, after being let in by Mutter, a green laser was found. He was then arrested and charged.

'Reckless'

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."