Clydebank man faces jail for laser attack on police helicopter
A FORMER oil worker is facing jail for repeatedly shining a laser pen at the Police Scotland helicopter because he believed the force was spying on him from the sky.
Gary Cameron believed the helicopter was spying on him from the sky
Gary Cameron, 42, used the powerful device to target the aircraft as it searched for a missing woman near his home. He wasunder the impression it was infringing on his civil liberties, the court heard.
Officers in Clydebank, near Glasgow, were alerted after the pilot was blinded by Cameron’s laser.
Concerned officers asked Cameron to stop shining the laser at the helicopter but he refused, insisting the crew was spying on him.
He was informed the offence, which placed the safety of the crew and public on the ground at risk, was punishable by prison and was arrested. The details emerged yesterday when Cameron appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court where he pleaded guilty to “culpable and reckless conduct” on September 5, 2016.
Procurator Fiscal Depute David McDonald explained: “At around 9.10pm on the evening in question police were informed of a missing female in the Clydebank area.
“There was a certain amount of concern for this female and, at 9.35pm, a police helicopter was dispatched to assist with the search.
The helicopter was searching for a missing woman in the area
“Just after 9.50pm officers informed area control they were subject to repeated dazzling within the cockpit as a result of a laser pen being shone at them.”
This is an offence of the utmost gravity
They discovered where the laser was coming from and officers on the ground were sent to Cameron’s flat and found him in the garden, shining the pen at the aircraft.
Cameron’s lawyer said the act had been part of a campaign he had launched against Police Scotland which saw him carry out “interference in the sky”.
Sheriff William Gallacher warned him he faces jail when he returns for sentencing next month.
Cameron had been warned that he faces serving jail time
He said: “This is an offence of the utmost gravity.
“The potential for a catastrophic consequence cannot be underestimated.
“To repeatedly shine a laser product into the cockpit of a helicopter has the potential to distract the pilot and crew and create dangers for the safety of the crew and others within.”