A farm worker who shone a laser pen into the cockpit of an RAF jet was jailed after a sheriff warned him he could have killed someone.
Radu Moldovan (28) received a four-month sentence, despite Cupar Sheriff Court being told he had no idea of the potential consequences of his actions.
The field supervisor of Cairnie Fruit Farm, Cupar, twice shone the green light at the Tornado jet as it approached Leuchars to land, distracting the pilot.
The plane’s canopy had a green glow inside as the aircraft was almost at stall speed on a task that required a great deal of concentration from the pilot.
Moldovan who is to appeal the sentence admitted culpably and recklessly endangering the safety of a military aircraft.
Sheriff Charles Macnair told him, “Distracting the attention of any pilot, in particular a pilot flying a fast jet, is an accident waiting to happen.
“The consequences of a Tornado crashing at or near Leuchars airbase raises the most horrific prospect of death andinjury to the pilot, navigator and anyone else who may be below the aircraft when it comes down.
“It must be made abundantly clear to anyone who uses or attempts to use or misuse laser pens of this sort that the courts of the United Kingdom will not tolerate such abuse.”
Romanian Moldovan and a co-worker bought the £4 pen on eBay to test that an account they had opened worked. He also thought the pen would help him at work to attract the attention of workers he was supervising.
He was at a barbecue on the evening of August 16 when he shone the laser at the jet. The navigator identified the source of the beam and the co-ordinates, of Cairnie Fruit Farm, were passed to police.
Hilary Eldridge, defending, said the pilot had been distracted but not temporarily blinded by the light.
Moldovan, assessed as posing little risk of re-offending, had pointed at the jet, she said, to see if the laser was strong enough to reach it. She added, “He had absolutely no comprehension of the potential danger to the crew.”
A spokesman for RAF Leuchars said the matter had been taken very seriously because of its gravity.
He said, “Although thankfully a rare occurrence, a laser shone on the cockpit of an aircraft in its final approach to landing could result in serious consequences for both crew and aircraft.
“The targeting of aircraft by lasers poses a threat to aircraft safety and security as it can cause temporary flash blindness, distraction and possible eye injury.
“Any incidents are immediately reported to the civil police who respond to any reported activity. It is against the law to shine maliciously a light or laser at aircraft.”