A man has been jailed after shining a laser at a police helicopter flying overhead in Wiltshire, forcing it to abandon the job it was on.  

The police were looking for a high-risk missing person when Nicholas Mutter, 41, of Swift Drive, Trowbridge, dazzled the pilot with a laser.

He was sentenced to eight months imprisonment on Monday, July 29, at Salisbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to shining a laser beam towards an aircraft. 

On March 19 this year, at around 1am, the National Police Air Service were aiding in the search for a high-risk missing person when a green laser was shone multiple times at the aircraft and into the cockpit, dazzling and distracting the pilot.

The laser prevented him from reading his instruments and forced him to halt the job at hand.

The pilot was able to locate the laser as coming from a property on Swift Drive.

Officers quickly attended the property and, after being let into the property by Mutter, a green laser was located. Mutter was arrested and charged.

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.

“I am pleased that Mutter was able to be swiftly arrested and sentenced. We take this kind of behaviour incredibly seriously and won’t hesitate to ensure culprits face justice for it.”

Captain Paul Watts, head of flight operations at NPAS, said: “The danger caused by lasers, not only to our air crew but also to the public, cannot be stressed enough.

“Anything that distracts a pilot, whilst airborne, is a huge risk to safety.

“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. 

“We will always pursue prosecution through the courts. Anyone foolhardy or reckless enough to consider shining a laser at an aircrew should expect to face court, and potentially a prison sentence.”