Man acquitted of laser strike against Scottish police helicopter

Brian McPhillips, aged 50, was acquitted by a majority ‘not proven’ verdict after two days of evidence were presented to the trial, held at Edinburgh Sheriff’s Court.

A not proven verdict is a legal verdict unique to Scottish law which is frequently used when there is insufficient evidence that defendant is guilty, but insufficient to prove them innocent.

McPhillips was accused of being responsible for an incident at approximately 21:00 hrs on 24 March 2020, in which a police helicopter circling the town of Whitecraig, east of the Scottish capital, suffered a laser attack during a search for a vulnerable missing person.

Pilot, Captain Nigel Clark said that the police helicopter was attacked four times with a laser, which ‘illuminated the cockpit’ and was ‘a distraction’ and a ‘blinding issue’ for him and his crewmates.

The incident forced the helicopter to abort its mission

The incident forced the helicopter to abort its mission, with Camera Operator Police Constable Alistair Rennie stating that: “It could have had devastating consequences if the pilot cannot see. There is a possibility that the aircraft could crash.”

Following the incident, a house in the nearby town of Musselburgh was identified as the source of the light. Police arriving at the scene reportedly found McPhillips leaning out of an upstairs window.

A police officer speaking at Edinburgh Sheriff Court stated that McPhillips denied any involvement when confronted on the night of the incident, and instead placed blame on his young daughter.

Laser strike incidents against emergency service aircraft are an increasing concern in the UK. In England, Wiltshire Air Ambulance (WAA) confirmed that it was forced to abort an emergency mission in response to a patient suffering from a cardiac peri-arrest southeast of the city of Bath on 10 April 2022 due to a laser attack.