The future is here, people are trying to shoot helicopters out of the sky with laser beams.

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And if you were ever successful, you’d probably expect to be facing a hefty prison sentence if you got caught blasting those mechanical mother fuckers out of the air with your laser gun. Phillip Houghton, a 25 year old from Hull, knows all about that. He’s been jailed after pointing his laser pen at a police helicopter flying over his home in East Yorkshire. The helicopter was out searching for a suspect in a shooting at the time.

Hull magistrates court heard that Phillip bought the pen online from China, and that his initial intentions were to entertain his dog with the beam that it produced. However, when he grew bored waiting for his takeaway one night, he decided to point the pen at the helicopter. The fact that his laser attack wasn’t premeditated didn’t seem to satisfy District Judge Frederick Rutherford however, who seems to have decided to make an example of poor Phillip:

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It is only a matter of time before a tragedy is caused by this type of behaviour.

You cannot expect by the fact you deliberately targeted the helicopter with your laser that you did not endanger it and by so doing you endangered the pilot.

To do this as a man of your age and your responsibility is beyond belief.

Houghton admitted endangering an aircraft and a person in an aircraft, however explained that he was:

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…only trying to see how far the laser would go.

Pretty weird target to choose for that purpose, I’ll admit. Phillip’s defence explained that he’s usually a responsible and driven member of the community:

He is an extremely hard-working individual. He works as a care officer with people with severe learning difficulties and in a taxi office.

Humberside police don’t give two shits about minor details like that though:

People should never shine laser pens at planes or helicopters as it compromises public safety.

The mindless action can endanger the safety of an aircraft, those in it and the wider public. Those prosecuted face a prison sentence, as Phillip Houghton has discovered.

Example made. Hopefully he won’t go on a mad one like this twerking man did when he roundhoused a cop in the head though.