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THE family of businessman John Arthur Jones, who is accused of shining lights at pilots above RAF Mona, told a jury he had respect for the armed services.
His daughter Catrin Lloyd Davies said her father believed very much in the armed forces and would support them as much as possible.
She told Mold Crown Court her husband was an army officer and he would be unable to do his job but for the support of her father and the family.
He ensured that everyone was taken care of while her husband was away, said the mother of two, and the family had been at Jones’ home one night when it was alleged an illumination took place.
Both she and her husband, army captain Gareth Lloyd Davies, said Jones had not been outside that evening. They had a meal and the doors were locked to prevent their young son getting out, she said.
Her father was not against the RAF and she said there was no way she would allow her father to point a light at a passing jet – at the time her son would have been present and she would fear that such a thing could cause a crash.
She said she was not aware of her father’s intention at one stage to put up a weather balloon or that the police had spoken to him about it, but said he was interested in the weather.
Jones, 66, of Parc Cefni, Bodffordd, Anglesey, denies 13 charges of endangering aircraft at RAF Mona between November 2013 and Sep- tember 2014 by allegedly tracking them with a powerful torch light.
Mr Lloyd Davies said Jones was “a very, very fair man” who was “most understanding” of the job he did and who had “massive respect” for the armed forces.
Cross examined by prosecuting barrister John Philpotts, he was asked if he would be surprised to hear Jones refer to RAF pilots as “Hooray Henries”.
Mr Lloyd Davies said that did not take away from his respect for the armed forces.
He was asked if he thought the RAF was being unreasonable not moving the flight path away from Parc Cefni and he said he believed it was.
It would be reasonable to move the flight path a few metres to the south, away from the children’s nursery in particular, for the welfare of the children, he said. He agreed that it would also be better for Jones’ businesses.
Jones has said he could not have been shining lights at jets on some of the alleged occasions because he was not at home. On other occasions he was at home watching football or having a family meal and had not left the property.
His wife Rhian Arthur Jones, brother Evan Jones and his father-in-law David Gruffydd were among others called to give evidence on his behalf.
The jury heard Jones’ wife had been able to produce a diary of some of his movements and he was said to have been ill in bed on one occasion an illumination took place, and on another was having a meal with his in-laws.
She and Mr Gruffydd said Jones did not leave the house on either evening.
The case continues.