A man who shone a laser pen at a police helicopter has been jailed. Jesse Geaney admitted directing the powerful beam at the aircraft as it circled over Bristol city centre during a night protest on March 26, 2021.
The pilot was so distracted by the light that he aborted the operation, the role of which was assisting police officers on the ground. The helicopter camera operator switched from thermal camera to daylight camera to pinpoint the source of the beam and Geaney was tracked and arrested.
The 29-year-old, of Tynemouth Road, London, pleaded guilty to shining a laser beam towards an aircraft and Judge James Patrick jailed him for 12 months. He told Gainey: "I'm satisfied that when you came to shine that laser pen at the police it was deliberate and not accidental - but you were not trying to bring that helicopter down." The laser pen was made the subject of a deprivation order.
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David Maunder, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court the police helicopter was monitoring a public demonstration over Bristol city centre in a circular pattern around 1,500 ft. Mr Maunder said that, over Broadmead, it was hit by a dazzling green laser light for some 30 seconds as it flew over, and for one to two seconds a little later.
The court heard the pilot was distracted and unable to read his instruments. The aircraft's camera operator switched her camera to daylight mode and Geaney was pinpointed - allowing police on the ground to track him and detain him.
The helicopter pilot described the potential consequences for the flight as "catastrophic". Geaney, who offended while drunk, was interviewed but made no comment.
Margo Munro Kerr, defending, said her 6ft 11" client suffered from back pain not helped by a too short prison bed. She told the court his mental health issues at the time meant he had not been thinking logically and he was now very concious about possible consequences of his actions.
Miss Munro Kerr said her client had been in an "extremely abusive" relationship and, at the time, had reached rock bottom. She added that Geaney had managed to detoxify while remanded in custody.
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