Man convicted of shining laser at plane

The man who twice shone a green laser into the cockpit of a plane as it approached Wellington Airport has been found guilty of causing unnecessary danger to the flight.

Judge Stephen Harrop found Vladimir Maricic, 25, of Wellington, guilty of the charge but he did not enter a conviction because Maricic indicated he would apply for a discharge without conviction.

He is due for sentencing on August 18, the Dominion Post reported.

The court was told Maricic caused unnecessary danger to the Mt Cook Airlines flight as it approached Wellington Airport about 9pm on March 4 last year.

The court found Maricic was responsible for twice shining a green flash of light into the cockpit from the car park at the Mt Victoria lookout as it flew over Newlands and again as it flew over Wellington Harbour.

Maricic told police when they spoke to him at the lookout car park that he did not intend to harm anyone.

He said he had bought the laser over the internet and had thought he would see how far it would reach.

Judge Harrop described Maricic's actions as potentially catastrophic.

Previous laser attacks have occurred in Wanganui, Marlborough, and Auckland over the past two years.

Retired Marlborough man Bernard Westbrook Long, 60, was last month convicted and sentenced to 300 hours' community work for aiming a laser beam at Interisland ferries in 2007 and temporarily blinding crew.

- NZPA