A pilot who left the U2 concert in Slane, Co Meath, and flew without turning on the night lights on the helicopter into the controlled airspace around Dublin Airport was given a suspended jail sentence yesterday.
Swords District Court heard that at the time of the flight the crowds, estimated at 80,000 for each of two concerts, were dispersing.
Mr Andrew Byrne (21), River Valley Grove, Swords, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to summonses brought by the Irish Aviation Authority after the flight from Slane to Strawberry Beds, Dublin, on the night of August 25th, 2001.
He was reprimanded by Judge Catherine Murphy for "putting lives at risk" and she said it was difficult to find the language to express her "horror at the level of immaturity and irresponsibility indicated by his actions".
The court heard Byrne had spent the day flying people to and from the Slane concert in a helicopter owned by Atlantic Helicopters Ltd.
When the concert was over, he left Slane for the Strawberry Beds where Emerald Helicopters Ltd serviced and maintained the helicopter. He had his mother and girlfriend on board and in court he admitted flying without turning on the navigation and vision lights.
However, Mr Hugh Mohan SC, defending said Mr Byrne had only done this for a time and had then turned them on. He also admitted flying into the controlled airspace around Dublin Airport without clearance from Air Traffic Control. The court heard it was in the controlled airspace for approximately three minutes.
Mr Mohan said that the Strawberry Beds were within that controlled airspace and that Mr Byrne had tried to contact Air Traffic Control using a frequency, which had been reserved for the Slane concert, but was unsuccessful.
Passing sentence, Judge Murphy said what had happened was outrageous and breath-taking. She imposed fines of €1,000 on each of the two summonses, and for flying without clearance she imposed a three month jail term but suspended it for two years.