Man who shone laser pen at police helicopter and risked safety of crew jailed as deterrence

Colin Quinn was arrested at a house in Ferryhill, County Durham, on the night of June 29, from where a concealed laser pen was recovered. Durham Crown Court was told the helicopter, operated by the National Police Air Service (NPAS), was deployed to assist officers involved in a missing person inquiry, in the south of the county.

Elisha Marsay, prosecuting, said shortly after 10.45am the helicopter crew informed their police colleagues on the ground that a male had been repeatedly shining a laser pen at the aircraft. His actions were said to be causing interference with the search activities and safety concerns were raised for the occupants of the helicopter.

A log was created and the NPAS team was able to identify the address from where the laser appeared to be shone as being in Highland Terrace, Ferryhill. When officers arrived at this address, they spoken with Quinn, who was the only male occupant in the property.

He initially denied having any knowledge or involvement relating to the helicopter and/or the laser. Following the request for further information, NPAS confirmed there was only one male on the footage and that he entered the address in Highland Terrace before putting his head out several times.

Given the information provided, Quinn was arrested for endangering the safety of an aircraft. A search was conducted during which a black laser was found down the cushion of the couch where Quinn had been sitting.

On checking, the laser shone a green beam, which was confirmed to be the same colour involved in the incident with the helicopter. The 44-year-old defendant, of Highland Terrace, was charged with recklessly or negligently acting in manner likely to endanger an aircraft or a person in an aircraft, in breach of sections of the Air Navigation Order, of 2016.

He indicated a guilty plea when he appeared before magistrates in Peterlee last month. The case was sent to the crown court for sentence, where Judge Nathan Adams passed a four-month term of imprisonment on Quinn on Tuesday (Aug 19), as “a deterrent” to anyone considering engaging in a similar practice.

NPAS said it was the third such incident in the North in which lasers have been deliberately shone at police aircraft in the last few weeks. In one of the recent other cases a 40-year-old man was arrested in the Balby area of Doncaster, having also shone a green laser pen at an NPAS helicopter, from a recreation ground, on July 23.

Police helicopter was on missing person search operation when laser pen was shone in direction of the crew. Captain Paul Watts, Head of Flight Operations at NPAS, said: “Targeting aircraft with lasers is dangerous. It puts our crews at risk and can jeopardise public safety on the ground.

“NPAS crews are equipped to trace the source of these incidents, and we work closely with police forces to ensure swift action is taken. There are serious consequences for those who choose to engage in this kind of behaviour.”

Earlier that week another NPAS crew was targeted in similar fashion, in Merseyside. Cpt Watts added that these attacks highlight the ongoing risks faced by operational air support teams and the importance of robust enforcement in the courts and public awareness of the issue.