Man who pleaded guilty to flying drone at North West 200 is given absolute discharge
An Englishman who was using a drone to record riders in the North West 200 was given an absolute discharge today over an offence of flying in a restricted zone.
Coleraine Magistrates’ Court heard that 56-year-old Michael Hill had entered a guilty plea by post to an offence of flying an aircraft, including a drone, in a restricted area on 9 May this year.
A prosecution lawyer told the court it was around 12.20 on the Coleraine Road in Portrush when police received a report of a drone flying in the area.
Police attended and “saw a drone sitting on top of a car” and when they spoke to the driver, Hill identified himself and confirmed that he had been using the drone to record the racers and that he had been flying the device between 50-120 metres.
Hill, from Grenville Terrace in Ashton-under-Lyme, told police he was a tourist from England and did not realise it was a restricted area or that he needed an operators licence.
“I have some experience about this,” District Judge Peter King told the prosecutor, “there is a fly safe app and that should tell him.”
Emphasising there was “nothing commercial about this” and that the restricted area was specific to the area that day, the judge imposed an absolute discharge because “I think visitors are probably given the benefit of the doubt.”
The NW200 is Northern Ireland’s biggest motorcycle race. First held in 1929, it takes place on public roads linking the towns of Portrush, Portstewart and Coleraine around the 8.9-mile ‘Triangle’ course, where riders reach speeds in excess of 200mph. The 2025 Briggs Equipment North West 200 will take place from May 7-10.