BBC NEWS | UK | England | Surrey | Woman dazzled pilot 'for a laugh'
Woman dazzled pilot 'for a laugh'
A woman who dazzled a Surrey Police pilot with a laser pen "for a laugh" has been given a suspended sentence. Mark Tuson had to look away from the windows and use the instrumentation to steer the helicopter when Natasha Forster shone the light at the cockpit. Forster, 21, formerly of Staines, but now of Rochester Avenue in Feltham, was given a six-month sentence, suspended for two years, by Staines magistrates. She was sentenced after admitting endangering an aircraft. Mr Tuson had been responding to a call-out in Staines and was flying at more than 1,000ft (305m) when the incident happened on 10 August. He said the distraction of the beam flooding the cockpit could have had "catastrophic consequences". Surrey Police said when Forster was arrested she said she shone the green laser light at the helicopter "for a laugh". Insp Steve Cheeseman said: "Laser pens can be very powerful and to shine one into the cockpit of any aircraft during flight is extremely dangerous. "It could easily blind or distract the pilot and puts everyone on board at risk. "The sentence handed out sends a clear warning to anyone else considering such reckless behaviour." Forster was also ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.