Hampshire police plane targeted with laser pen
A man is set to appear in court after a laser pen was shone into the eyes of a police spotter plane pilot.
David Williams, of Cuckoo Lane, Stubbington, has been charged with endangering an aircraft following an incident at the former Daedalus airfield at Lee-on-the-Solent on June 5.
Williams was arrested by police after a laser pen beam was repeatedly aimed at the Hampshire Constabulary Air Support Unit plane, which was taking off from its airfield base at 11.13pm.
The beam affected the pilot's night vision, but he was able to take the plane to a higher altitude and the plane's observer officers used the aircraft's hi-tech equipment to search the area below.
Ground units were directed to a nearby park where the suspect was stopped by police officers.
The 19-year-old will appear at Fareham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 24. He has been charged with the offence under the Air Navigation Order 2005, Article 73. If found guilty he could face up to five years behind bars.
It is the first time that this charge has been brought against a person in Hampshire.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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