Man convicted of shining laser at police plane

A man has today (Friday 27 March) been sentenced for shining a laser at a police aircraft, while it was assisting officers with an incident in Telford.

Reed Beers, aged 60, of Old Office Road in Dawley, Telford, pleaded guilty to dazzling or distracting a pilot during the incident on Tuesday 10 March.

During the hearing, Telford Magistrates Court was told how at 6.23pm officers were called to Ketley Bank following reports a man had a suspected firearm.

As officers carried out searches on the ground to locate the suspect, the National Police Air Service (NPAS) was called in to assist.

NPAS sent their fixed-wing plane from Nottingham, which was circling around Telford for 59 minutes. At 7.52pm the pilot alerted officers after a green laser had been shone at the aircraft.

The crew were able to pinpoint the location of the laser and told officers on the ground, who attended an address on Old Office Road in Dawley.

When officers arrived, Beers opened the door and when speaking to officers stated he was the only one at the address. He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody where he was interviewed by detectives.

Beers claimed he had been shining a red laser from an air rifle at a drone that evening from his bedroom window while trying to take a picture with his camera.

He stated that when he checked the Flight Radar App there were no aircrafts showing in the area at that time, and that he would have never shone a laser at a plane or helicopter.

Officers checked the camera found in the bedroom, and no pictures had been taken that evening of any aircrafts. Beers claimed that was due to the fact he was holding the air rifle with one hand and his camera with the other, so was unable to focus correctly.

Beers also said during interview that he did not own a green laser, only a red laser attached to the air rifle. However, he also confirmed when shown footage from NPAS that the laser was coming from his address, and again said he was only person in the property at the time.

Following the interview a further search was carried out of Beers’ address where officers found two green laser pens hidden around the property.

Beers was subsequently charged with dazzling or distracting a pilot the following day.

Today (Friday 27 March) he was given a 12-month custodial discharge, and was also ordered to forfiet the laser pen.

Detective Inspector Paul Drury said: “Shining a laser at any aircraft is inherently dangerous but doing so while it is supporting officers during an active incident places both the crew, and the public at even greater risk.

“Our colleagues at NPAS play a vital role in keeping our communities safe, and this reckless behaviour could have had truly serious consequences.

“I hope this sends a clear message that endangering an aircraft will be met with firm and decisive justice.”

Regional operations manager at NPAS, Inspector Phil Emmerson, added: “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 aircraft meant the laser could be located as coming from the home of Beers.”