A drone operator who flew in restricted air space and got within 120 metres of a helicopter preparing to fight a forest fire has today escaped a conviction. But today Judge Gary MacAskill granted him a discharge without conviction after Reeve made a $500 donation to a child cancer charity. Judge MacAskill granted the application for a discharge without conviction and ordered his sentencing notes to be typed up and made available. Outside court, Glover doubted that the discharge without conviction would set much of a legal precedent in New Zealand. Helicopter pilot David Askin didn't know about the drone until he saw drone footage on the news that night, which angered him.

Source: New Zealand Herald August 23, 2016 00:45 UTC