Moment man shines laser pen at police helicopter, dazzling pilot searching for missing person

A man has been sentenced to eight months in prison after shining a laser at a police helicopter flying overhead, forcing it to abandon the job it was on.

On 19 March, at around 1am, the National Police Air Service were aiding in the search for a high-risk missing person in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, when a green laser was shone multiple times at the aircraft and into the cockpit, dazzling and distracting the pilot.

The laser prevented the pilot from reading his instruments and forced him to halt the job at hand.

He was able to locate the laser as coming from a property on Swift Drive, Trowbridge.

Wiltshire Police officers quickly attended the property and after locating a green laser, arrested 41-year-old Nicholas Mutter.