A Co Offaly helicopter pilot who landed on the roof of a shopping centre to collect a set of keys has been given a six month suspended sentence and fined €5,000.
Sean O'Brien, aged 50, of the Island, Ballycumber, Co Offaly, was convicted on ten charges relating to the incident at the Parkrite Texas Centre, Athlone, Co Westmeath on 7 July 2007.
He was released on bail from Athlone District Court last year on condition he did not operate an aircraft.
Hearing the case this morning Judge David Anderson asked whether the defendant, who holds a US pilots' licence, was now in a position to display a knowledge of Irish aviation regulations.
O'Brien said he had been studying the regulations but was unable to afford to go on any courses on the subject.
He claimed to have been applying ‘completely different’ flying instructions acquired in the US at the time of the incident.
‘You are telling me in Florida there are no regulations in relation to landing a helicopter on top of a supermarket,’ asked Judge Anderson.
Admitting he should not have landed in Athlone, or dropped below 1,500ft in a built up area, O'Brien said ‘I would never do that again’.
He described his own actions as ‘dangerous’ due to the lack of a designated landing area on the roof of the shopping centre.
Unconvinced, Judge Anderson said, ‘Mr O'Brien still doesn't understand why he shouldn't land on a supermarket’.
Had there been an accident people could have been ‘toasted’ in a serious fire, he explained.
'The defendant now displays no grasp whatsoever of the rules, common sense, that is where he has difficulty,’ said Judge Anderson.
Solicitor Tom Madden said his client was a man of ‘no means’ who did not own the helicopter and is now on disability.
The defendant had worked in the prison services until he retired at 30 following a shooting incident, he said.
O'Brien then set up a successful security business which ended following a ‘bizarre’ poisoning incident which left him unwell for a number of years.
He now has no assets and, ‘since your order he hasn't been taking to the skies’, Mr Madden told Judge Anderson.
Although there were ten separate charges, Judge Anderson said the one overriding charge was that of ‘dangerous and negligent’ use of a helicopter.
He handed down a six month suspended sentence and fined the defendant €5,000 on this count while taking the remaining nine charges into consideration.
