Drone stalker...

[Cymru]

One from Wales:-

Drone stalker jailed for spying on ex-girlfriend

John McDermott from Connah's Quay, Flintshire, also received an indefinite restraining order.

www.bbc.co.uk

Drone stalker jailed for spying on ex-girlfriend​

A stalker who used a drone to spy on his ex-partner and her friend has been jailed for 16 weeks.
John McDermott, 42, of Birch Court, Connah's Quay, Flintshire, was also banned under an indefinite restraining order from possessing or using a drone in Holywell and Trelawnyd.
Magistrates at Llandudno also ordered the destruction of the drone.
McDermott pleaded guilty to stalking Kerry Williams and her friend Daniel Redford.
He used the drone to monitor them after Ms Williams moved into Mr Redford's home at Holywell.

 

[old man mavic]

not much help in trying to make drones more acceptable i suppose we will all be classed as stalkers now

 

[Cymru]

not much help in trying to make drones more acceptable i suppose we will all be classed as stalkers now

Sadly yes but these people do exist so its a fair news story for once.

The guy was clearly an angry stalker regardless but the drone did make it worse.

 

[bmwbob]

So he loitered the drone over their house! Not much to see other than the house unless the went outside!

 

[icecoldgin]

Although irrelevant, I am still curious to know what kind of drone this person was using ?

 

[Starz]

i suppose we will all be classed as stalkers now

The invasion of privacy part of this is very high on the complaint list generated by the anti-drone crowd. Probably would be very difficult to change that mindset.

 

[KingRat]

The invasion of privacy part of this is very high on the complaint list generated by the anti-drone crowd. Probably would be very difficult to change that mindset.

Well justified in this instance, I would say.

Common courtesy seems to have become anything but common nowadays.

 

[Dale D]

One from Wales:-

Drone stalker jailed for spying on ex-girlfriend

John McDermott from Connah's Quay, Flintshire, also received an indefinite restraining order.

www.bbc.co.uk

Drone stalker jailed for spying on ex-girlfriend​

A stalker who used a drone to spy on his ex-partner and her friend has been jailed for 16 weeks.
John McDermott, 42, of Birch Court, Connah's Quay, Flintshire, was also banned under an indefinite restraining order from possessing or using a drone in Holywell and Trelawnyd.
Magistrates at Llandudno also ordered the destruction of the drone.
McDermott pleaded guilty to stalking Kerry Williams and her friend Daniel Redford.
He used the drone to monitor them after Ms Williams moved into Mr Redford's home at Holywell.

drones don't stalk people...people stalk people. Not the drone's fault.

 

[dozzn]

Well I don’t think they should destroy the drone. Maybe they could give it to the local fire and rescue or something. The drone didn’t do anything wrong,

 

[KingRat]

drones don't stalk people...people stalk people. Not the drone's fault.

In the same way guns and knives don't kill people.... so why do we need gun or knife laws?

 

[old man mavic]

when you carry a knife or a gun the assumption is made that you are armed ,and then you fall under specific rules to be allowed to carry such weapons ,it does not mean you intend to go out to do harm to another person ,when we fly our drones with the appropriate paperwork in place ,it does not mean we do so to stalk or spy on others ,but that is the assumption that the word drone invokes in others,because of what they read in the press

 

[Cymru]

Given the other behaviour mentioned theres no doubt the guy is a fairly creepy stalker, the drone just enabled him to do it even more.
(Surprised nobody is trying to get him under breaches of the CAP/ANO as well as it looks clear he'd have been flying in a built up area and close to structures here).
The prosecution and verdict seem perfectly fair in this case but it IS more anti drone publicity although in this case, completely justified.

 

[Dale D]

In the same way guns and knives don't kill people.... so why do we need gun or knife laws?

exactly my point

 

[Capt KO]

But putting down a drone? Kinda heartless to me. ? poor thing. Giving it a new home with a kid to adopt and care for it sounds better. ? killing drones, on purpose, should be illegal!! It's just Wrong

nuff said ?

 

[Thomas B]

But putting down a drone? Kinda heartless to me. ? poor thing. Giving it a new home with a kid to adopt and care for it sounds better. ? killing drones, on purpose, should be illegal!! It's just Wrong

nuff said ?

Let the police use it... like the way they patrol in confiscated drug dealers (former) cars... and with big signs on the explaining the confiscation.

 

[Capt KO]

Let the police use it... like the way they patrol in confiscated drug dealers (former) cars... and with big signs on the explaining the confiscation.

Makes sense. Destroying drugs and guns, I agree, but usable drones? Just format the SD card. Wonder who has the remote? ?
Glad they caught and punished him. But hate bad press bout bad people, good drones.

 

[Scubadiver1944]

In the same way guns and knives don't kill people.... so why do we need gun or knife laws?

I understand the point you're making, but it needs to be said that possession of knives and/or firearms makes it that much easier to inflict death or serious injury on numerous people. Simply beating masses of people to death with one's fists or even a baseball bat is not, which is why we have such strict laws against these weapons in the UK. A death-dealing, consumer drone? Not so much, but from a privacy perspective? Creepy, and given his previous breaking of bail conditions, 16 weeks in the cooler was justified imo.

 

[NG Wildman]

In the same way guns and knives don't kill people.... so why do we need gun or knife laws?

WE Don't.

 

[Otisangb]

Creepy, and given his previous breaking of bail conditions, 16 weeks in the cooler was justified imo.

Creepy for sure, At least he admitted to it. The guy needs some serious treatment. Between this and the police help accident, things not looking so good on the drone front.

 

[passedpawn]