Hit twice on the same night by a laser beam, Mark Westwood, a helicopter pilot for the British police, found justice … and the man responsible. Westwood was momentarily blinded by the beam, but kept control of his helicopter and turned his thermal imaging camera on the culprit. It turns out that 20-year-old Dean Bottomley had targeted the helicopter from his bedroom with a green laser pen and in moments, Westwood had his location locked. In minutes, police arrived and arrested Bottomley at his home. Stating that he was “just having a laugh,” according to the Mirror UK, Bottomley now faces a potential jail term of five years for admitting to endangering an aircraft and will contemplate that fact until his June 6 sentencing date. “He knows he has been very stupid,” offered his attorney. Bottomley, who reportedly bought the laser pen on eBay, added, “I didn’t realize just how serious it was.”
Laser Prankster Nabbed By Victim, A Pilot
Key Takeaways:
- A British police helicopter pilot, Mark Westwood, was lased twice and temporarily blinded but used his thermal camera to identify the perpetrator's location.
- Police quickly arrested 20-year-old Dean Bottomley, who had targeted the helicopter from his bedroom with a green laser pen.
- Bottomley, who claimed he was "just having a laugh" and didn't realize the seriousness, now faces a potential five-year jail term for endangering an aircraft.
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