Laser pair jailed

Two men who shone a laser pen into the cockpit of a police helicopter during a search for a missing person have been jailed.

Father-of-six Martin Jayes, 46, and his neighbour Oktawain Plaskiewicz, 22, targeted the copter circling over Leicester, on March 9.

The pilot was forced to take evasive action and call off the search.

Judge Adrienne Lucking QC told the men such actions cause “lifethreatening danger” to both the crewandmembers of the public.

Leicester Crown Court heard the men both shone the pen into the cockpit on a number of occasions at around 11pm. They were arrested and pleaded guilty to recklessly or negligently endangering the safety of an aircraft. Jayes got eight months and Plaskiewicz, six.