Bronx, you've highlighted what seems to be poor drafting in the UK law. I hadn't read the Act in detail. The intention as I understand it was to create a strict liability offence, but 'so as to' can be construed in either/both of the ways you mention, and it will be, resulting in failed prosecutions.
I'm not sure why many of our politicians don't have English as their first language, but sadly that seems to be the case.
Those Pennsylvanian ufo thingies were 'hovering', by the way, or so I've been informed by a keen observer of extraterrestrial matters in that area in response to my YouTube comments.
Fair game, then. Obviously 'grey' pilots with their legendarily large eyes won't be bothered by lasers at all. Bless 'em, they're even blinking their lights back at us...