Steve Johnson, 34 Smethwick, who admitted two charges of doing an act likely to endanger an aircraft, has been jailed for a year.
Johnson was fishing at a pool in Washbook Lane, Norton Canes, when he shone a green laser pen into the cockpit of an aircraft approaching Birmingham Airport.
The aircraft was at 6,000ft when the crew became aware of a green light about three miles ahead, and radioed for police help. Officers went to the pool and found four men, and Johnson handed over the laser pen, saying he had been using it to scare birds away from his fishing bait.
Following his arrest, Johnson said he wasn’t aware of the gravity of what he was doing. Harpreet Sandhu, defending, said “The laser pen was in his possession to use in a legitimate way. It is an act of gross stupidity which brings him before the court.”
Sentencing him to a year in prison, the judge said “There has to be a deterrent sentence to stop others from behaving in the way you did.”
Please click here to read the article by the Express and Star.
Please click here to view Harpreet Sandhu’s profile.
