Suspended sentence for pilot who landed on car park roof

An Offaly helicopter pilot who landed on the roof of the Texas shopping centre car park in Athlone two years ago was given a six-month suspended sentence and a €5,000 fine at Athlone District Court this week. Seán O'Brien of The Island, Ballycumber, Co Offaly, was convicted of ten charges relating to the incident on July 7, 2007. Mr O'Brien had been released on bail at Athlone District Court last year, on condition that he did not operate an aircraft. On Monday's sitting of the court, Judge David Anderson asked whether Mr O'Brien, who holds an American pilot's licence, was now able to display a knowledge of Irish aviation regulations. He told Judge Anderson that he had been studying the regulations but could not afford to go on any courses on the subject. He said he had been applying completely different flying instructions, which he had acquired in America, at the time of the 2007 incident. Judge Anderson queried whether there were no regulations about landing a helicopter on a supermarket in Florida. Mr O'Brien admitted to the court that he should not have landed in Athlone or dropped below 1,500ft in a built-up area and told the judge he would never do it again. He said what he had done was dangerous as there was no designated landing area on the roof of the shopping centre. Judge Anderson said Mr O'Brien still did not understand why he shouldn't land on a supermarket. He said Mr O'Brien had displayed no grasp of the rules and said he had a difficulty with common sense. Defence solicitor Tom Madden said his client was a man of no means who didn't own a helicopter and was now on disability. He had worked in the prison services but retired when he was 30 after a shooting incident. He had then set up a security business, but this came to an end after a poisoning incident which left him unwell for a number of years. While Mr O'Brien was facing ten charges, Judge Anderson said the one overriding charge was that of dangerous and negligent use of a helicopter. He sentenced O'Brien to six months in prison for this charge, but suspended it, and also fined him €5,000 on this charge, while taking the remaining nine charges into consideration.