I was Chief Pilot of the very same ASU, but before this event.
I'm told the guy was very convincing, and it would seem he's even managed to charm the judge.
Let's await more from those in the know. Frankly I'm astounded, but in this modern 'blame someone else' culture, it will probably be the Unit who get shafted for not checking his credentials at an earlier stage, and allowing the pillock to get away with it. What happened to personal responsibility.
Interestingly, and pertinent to the same ASU, the police observer who has been unable to work since the October 1998 fatal accident has still to receive any compensation for injuries which were definitely not caused by his own fault. This is in no way a cririsism of the unit, who have done their best in the face of an insurance company pulling out all the stops to shirk their responsibilities. More on Rotorheads.