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Australia: 15-month suspended sentence for drunk man who aimed blue laser at police helicopter

A South Australia Police helicopter checking on COVID compliance during a three-day lockdown was hit seven times by a blue laser on November 20, 2020. There was no injury to the crew but one officer was dazzled temporarily by the beam.

Mark Andrew Golka laser helicopter South Australia 01 Mark Andrew Golka laser helicopter South Australia 02
Two frames from the South Australia Police helicopter. In the first frame the laser beam is aimed to the left of the camera. In the second frame the beam is aimed directly at the camera lens. The human eye would have a similar effect, first seeing the beam then being dazzled and flashblinded by the bright direct light.


According to the Herald Sun, the laser was "2000 times more powerful than the legal limit", which would make it 2000 milliwatts or 2 watts.

The perpetrator was found to be Mark Andrew Golka, 49, who lived in the Adelaide suburb of Woodcroft. He was said to have been drinking alcohol and taking prescription pain medication when he aimed the laser. At sentencing, the judge told Golka "…that is no excuse to having committed these offences."

Golka was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended. He signed a two-year good behavior bond, will be supervised for 18 months, and will perform 80 hours of community service.

After the sentencing, his lawyer said Golka was sorry for what he had done.

From ABC News and the Herald Sun. The ABC News page includes a video of the laser illumination, from which the two frames above were taken.

Australia: Adelaide-area man arrested for aiming laser at a police helicopter

A 28-year-old man was arrested September 28 2013 after he aimed a laser pointer at a police helicopter which was conducting a search in Evanston, SA (about 22 miles north of Adelaide). The man’s location was made known to ground officers, who found and arrested the perpetrator. He was charged with endangering safety of an aircraft and possessing a prohibited weapon.

From the Herald-Sun and Sky News