Woman admits shining laser at police helicopter

A woman from Bodmin has pleaded guilty to shining a laser at a police helicopter while it was on a search mission.

A justice of the peace in Bodmin Magistrates Court gave Kim Upton, 54, of Hillside Park a conditional discharge and told her she had "acted recklessly and stupidly".

The court heard a laser had been pointed to the sky seven times around midnight on an evening in August while police officers in the aircraft were searching for a high-risk missing person using thermal imaging gear.

Upton told the police she had not deliberately targeted the helicopter but had been using the green laser to light her garden for her dog.

The magistrates said Upton's actions could have led to the helicopter crashing if the pilot had been blinded by the laser light.

The court heard she had not intended to distract the helicopter and her actions were not deliberate.

Upton was handed a 12-month conditional discharge which means she can be sentenced for this first offence if she was found to commit another crime in the next year.

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