An amateur photographer almost crashed his drone into Fatboy Slim as he played to thousands on Brighton beach, a court heard.
Amateur snapper Giles Dalby, 39, was trying to create an atmospheric video of DJ Norman Cook’s gig when he got the controls mixed up and flew the drone onto the stage.
This week, he admitted recklessly or negligently allowing the drone to put Mr Cook and the 8,500-strong crowd at the Big Beach Boutique at risk.
During an emotional address from the dock at Brighton Magistrates Court on Thursday (4 January), the security designer said there was no malicious intent, and pleaded with the bench for leniency.
He said: “I did not intend to put anyone in danger. I wanted to create a slow, cinematic appearance.
“I crashed trying to leave the area, looking to back out for an overview of the scene and finish with a wide view.
“It was an honest mistake that I will ensure will never repeat itself.
“There was no malicious intent. I switched it into sport mode which deactivates the downward sensor so I could come quickly up and out, but I accidentally went forward and down.”
He said he had since got a drone operators licence, and had learned that he shouldn’t have flown the drone over a crowd.
Prosecuting, Megan Attree said the gig on Brighton beach on July 22 had been fenced off with 8,500 people inside and even more outside.
She said “DJ Norman Cook, also known as Fatboy Slim, was playing. At quarter to ten, the security were alerted that a drone had crashed into the stage, narrowly missing the crowd and the headline act.
“There was flight recording data on the drone, and it identified that the defendant had ignored multiple warnings.
“The defendant had placed the drone into sport mode, in which obstable avoiding doesn’t work, which increases the dangers.
“The footage shows a near miss collision with the crowd and performer. There was no damage or injury, but the risk was very real and very present.”
Dalby, of Devonshire Place, Brighton, was charged with recklessly or negligently allowing a mini drone to put a person or property at risk.
This is a breach of the Air Navigation Order 2016, which gives courts the power to impose an unlimited fine or, if committed to crown court, a prison sentence.
Chair of the bench Raymond Brenton said: “After what we have heard today, togehter with your previous good character and an early guilty plea, we will deal with this by way of a fine.”
Dalby was fined £576, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £230 and costs of £85, a total of £891.
How many hours of police time were wasted on this prosecution. Wouldn’t a caution have been more appropriate?
What a tool so disrespectful causing dangerous panic and pain
I think it shows how entitled people imagine they are
Selfish and childish
No need to be melodramatic. Clearly he fumbled his controls akin to the standard level of driving these days.
Easily the highlight of the concert.
Devonshire place eh.???
Very interesting
He got off lightly. “Ignorance of the law is no excuse” is no doubt a saying he has been reminded about. A caution just might have been appropriate I suppose if it was a daft youngster. But this was a 39 year old who should have had more sense.
I say this as a pilot of a mini drone myself. Uppermost in my mind is sticking to the rules, especially with regard to safety of others both on the ground and in the air when I fly. Ignoring the warnings given by the drone’s software was shocking. Mistakes can happen -and I’ve had a couple- but don’t have them over crowds.
What an utter fool (speaking as a drone pilot myself). Flying unlicenced, over crowds, in Sport mode – you couldn;t make it up. No wonder the majority of responsible drone operators get tarred with the same brush as these loons.