A self-confessed "idiot" who risked causing a disaster by shining a laser into the cockpit of a police helicopter has been jailed.
Sean O'Neil persistently directed the blinding green light from a phone app at the aircraft as it flew over a densely populated part of Gateshead at 1,500 feet.
A court heard there were a number of obstacles in the area, including masts and buildings, and O'Neil's actions could have had catastrophic consequences as the pilot was "dazzled and distracted".
