Tallinn man gets suspended sentence for lasering police helicopter mid-flight
A Tallinn man has been handed a three-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to shining a powerful laser beam at a police helicopter, causing it to take evasive action, Postimees reported.
Harju County Court found Tambet Pahk, 53, guilty via a plea bargain after he last September dazzled the crew of a helicopter over central Tallinn and forced pilots to abort their landing, also putting operations at Tallinn Airport at risk, though he claimed he was trying to scare away a seagull pecking at a garbage bag near his apartment.
The suspended sentence includes three years for an attack against aviation safety and an additional two months for unlawful possession of the laser device, which was classified as a type that can be attached to a firearm.
The court noted the same legal provision would apply to acts such as placing an explosive device on an aircraft, reflecting the severity of the offence under aviation safety law.
The incident occurred on September 8 last year when a Police and Border Guard Board AW139 helicopter returning from a routine training flight was hit by a green laser beam during landing procedures at Tallinn Airport. The crew followed protocol, identified the source, and aborted the landing, with investigators later triangulating the beam to an apartment building on Filtri tee and the Internal Security Service eventually locating the device despite Pahk's earlier denials.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: Postimees
