DRONE PAIR FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOME
Airport storm couple tell of police ordeal
THE couple wrongly accused of being behind the Gatwick drone attack are planning to move house.
Window fitter Paul Gait revealed that he and Elaine Kirk have barely left their home since being released by police.
He said the ordeal had ruined their Christmas and he just wanted to get out of the area.
The innocent pair were quizzed by police for 36 hours before being told they faced no further action.
Paul, 47, has been signed off work due to the effects of their experience.
He exclusively told the Daily Star Sunday: “I don’t want to live here any more. I just want out. I’m not in a good place to be fair.
“I’m off work, I’ve been signed off. It’s affected me in a massive way. It’s been difficult. Christmas was s***. I haven’t been out for two weeks.
“I haven’t got any intention of going out at the moment.”
He and Elaine, 54, were falsely accused of bringing the airport to a standstill by flying a drone over it.
They were released back to their home in Crawley, West Sussex, the day before Christmas Eve.
Sussex Police have come under scrutiny for their handling of the investigation.
Det Ch Supt Jason Tingley said it was possible there hadn’t been a drone over Gatwick.
He said there was no footage of one and they were just dealing with witness sightings.
Chief Constable Giles York then said some activity may have been the force’s own surveillance drones.
Mr Gait – who used to fly model helicopters – was given an alibi by his ex-wife Gemma Allard. She said he had been with her at the time of the drone disruption which affected 120,000 air passengers.
Gatwick has offered a £50,000 reward through Crimestoppers to individuals with information on the people behind the disruption, with the charity’s boss Lord Ashcroft offering a further £10,000. Police are examining relevant sightings by 115 witnesses, including 93 from “credible witnesses” such as a pilot, airport staff and police officers.
More than 1,000 house to house enquiries have also been carried out.
Since the incident, the UK’s two busiest airports are investing millions of pounds in anti-drone technology.
Gatwick and Heathrow have brought in equipment at an equivalent level to that used by the armed forces.
Last week, the Ministry of Defence confirmed its equipment that was being used at Gatwick had now been withdrawn from the Sussex airport.
‘We do not want to live here any more. It has ruined our Christmas’