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A 49-year-old helicopter pilot has avoided jail time after pleading guilty to operating a plane recklessly and endangering life at the Finke Desert Race, near Alice Springs, in 2015.
At the end of March, Lyndon Curr pleaded guilty to recklessly flying a helicopter over spectators and cars near Engoordina, putting onlookers, drivers and his passengers — including two children — at risk.
In his sentencing, Justice Trevor Riley said video footage from inside the helicopter and some taken by spectators on the ground showed just how dangerous Curr's behaviour was.
"The video footage graphically demonstrated how dangerous your conduct was," he said.
"Whilst it is fortunate that nothing happened that resulted in injury to any person, the manner of operation of the helicopter clearly created a situation which endangered the life of you as the pilot and other people."
Curr was hired by a competitor in the race to follow his vehicle and, Justice Riley said, "to act as an emergency response vehicle in the event of an accident".
Justice Riley said witnesses who were along the race track gave evidence that at one point the helicopter was so close they could see into the cabin.
"You came so close to those men that one of them voluntarily leant backwards, concerned about being struck," Justice Riley said.
"Footage showed that the helicopter was sufficiently close that there was a line of sight in one window of the helicopter and out another."
Justice Riley said Curr had his helicopter licence suspended for three months by the regulatory authority over the incident, and had been "out of the air" for nine months.
Curr pleaded guilty to the charge in the Alice Springs Supreme Court, but disputed some of the alleged facts, all of which were resolved in favour of the Crown.
Justice Riley said while he accepted the guilty plea, he was "concerned" that Curr continued to seek to minimise the seriousness of his conduct.
"I do not consider that you have a full appreciation of just how serious your conduct was. I do not think you have fully accepted responsibility," he said.
"However, I also do not think that you will offend in this way again."
Justice Riley sentenced Curr to six months in jail, to be suspended immediately upon him agreeing to enter a 12-month good behaviour bond.