Houshang Jafari has been found guilty at Crown Court and will be sentenced on August 3rd.
A BUSINESSMAN has been convicted of grabbing a helicopter as it took off from outside his luxury home and now faces a maximum five years in prison.
Houshang Jafari, pictured, was "livid" when the chopper landed outside his £1.2million apartment at the Dower House in Stoke Park, Bristol Crown Court heard.
People on board the aircraft told a jury how he kicked the helicopter's nose before grabbing one of its skid bars as it lifted off, causing it to lurch to the right before the pilot was able to gain control and fly away.
Jafari, 58, denied endangering the safety of an aircraft in March last year but a jury found him guilty.
Judge Michael Roach adjourned sentence until August 3, and told the court: "The report ordered doesn't mean there won't be a prison sentence. He (Jafari) has to expect the likelihood is that there will be one."
Jafari was given bail on condition he cooperate with the making of the report. He declined to comment as he left court.
Passenger Elizabeth Hale told the jury Jafari had walked towards the aircraft, stood in front of it and started hitting its nose with a plastic bag.
She said: "At that point I realised he was angry. The bag was definitely hitting the helicopter. I think I was looking at my partner at that point. It was just the way he was looking at us, it was really intimidating."
Miss Hale described how Jafari kicked the helicopter with the sole of his foot and, petrified, she shouted for them to leave. She said the pilot started to take off when Jafari jumped up and grabbed one of its skids.
She said: "He clung on to the skid and we lurched to the right. It was a bit of a blur after that. I started to cry. Mark (the pilot) stabilised it and we took off and were up in the air.
"We looked for a field nearby and landed just to compose ourselves.
"I think I was saying I thought I was going to die. I said I didn't want to get in and I wish I hadn't."
Her partner, Simon Clarke, said: "I saw Jafari come out of the house and come towards the helicopter with his fists clenched and gritted teeth.
"He got about three feet from the helicopter and then started waving his arms in a brushing away movement."
Mr Clarke said Jafari had a blue plastic bag, which he threw at the helicopter's nose and it landed on the ground.
He told the jury: "He became more irate, shouting 'Go away, go away!' You could lip read. He kicked out at the helicopter, at the nose, and he kicked out twice. He started shouting and walked round to the pilot's side door."
Mr Clarke said Jafari made a grab for the door as the helicopter lifted off.
He said: "Everyone was fearing what would happen next. My girlfriend was screaming 'Take off, take off!' The helicopter twisted to the right quite violently. That's when I really did fear for my life."
Jafari told the jury: "I walked to the side (of the helicopter). I made no contact with it at all. The rotor blades are really going fast, there was a lot of wind. I took a full step back, lifted on to my tip-toes and I lifted both my hands up. I said: 'Where the hell are you going?'
"I made no contact with it in any way as I am a fat man, my foot doesn't come up – how can I kick it?"
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