Drone defence system - who's owning up to building it?

SirGalahad said:
I assume the Police were correct in investigating them and then releasing them without charge?
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Police who arrested an innocent couple over the Gatwick drone attack were last night accused of conducting an "appalling" investigation, after it emerged they had repeatedly ignored evidence from a key witness.

Paul Gait, 47, and his wife, Elaine Kirk, 54, were released without charge yesterday (Sun) after being questioned for 36 hours in connection with the disruption at Britain's second busiest airport.

But Mr Gait's boss, who was with him when the drone attacks took place, said detectives had not even bothered to call him back when he offered to provide an alibi.

John Allard, who runs the double glazing firm where former soldier, Mr Gait, has worked for 17-years, said the couple's Christmas had been ruined by the police operation.

The 68-year-old said he had been surprised not to hear from detectives after they arrested his employee and eventually took matters into his own hands by contacting them himself.

But he said despite leaving his details nobody got back to him to discuss his alibi.

Mr Allard said: "All it would have taken was for them to call me and contact me as his employer and I could have confirmed that all day Wednesday and half the day Thursday, he was part of a three-man team installing fascia, soffit and guttering at a client's home in Groombridge, Kent.

"On Friday he spent most of the day running my daughter about because she damaged one of her toes and he was ferrying her to the doctor."

Mr Allard went on: "I discovered on Friday evening that he had been arrested. I got onto the police on Saturday evening, but I couldn't get through to anybody.

"There was was just somebody who said I'll take notes and pass that message on. But they never did get back to me, there was no return contact."

Mr Allard accused the police of dropping the ball and said the couple would be "mentally destroyed" by their ordeal.

He said: "I know Paul well, he's worked for me for 17 years and this is going to hit him like a 10-tonne truck. Although there was a complete lack of evidence, the police ripped his house apart. I know this will mentally destroy him."
Mr Gait and his wife Elaine have been released without charge

He went on: "Sussex Police have really dropped the ball on this. I have always supported the police and I like to think I always would but in this case I think they have really got it wrong."

The couple were arrested at around 10pm on Friday evening following three days of chaos at Gatwick, which threatened to wreck the Christmas travel plans of hundreds of thousands of people.

But after two nights of questioning at Crawley Police station they were allowed home having been released without charge.

It is understood the police acted after receiving a tip off that Mr Gait, who was a drone enthusiast and lives less than two miles from Gatwick's perimeter, might be involved.

The couple, who have two teenage children between them, were recovering at their smart detached home in Crawley last night and were being comforted by relatives.
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Ms Kirk's brother, Mark, said the ordeal they had been through was "beyond words".

He said: "She’s not good. It’s beyond words what we’ve all been through. It’s just frightening, very frightening to go through an experience like this."

Speaking from their parents' home in Crawley, he said he had no idea why the couple had fallen under suspicion.

He said: “There is no reason, I haven’t got a clue. It’s literally fingers being pointed in the wrong direction. Unfortunately we have all suffered.”

Mr Gait was a former gunner in the Royal Artillery who also worked as a security guard.

He and Ms Kirk, who works in the Unilever sales department, married in 2013 and were described by locals in their quiet cul-de-sac as the "perfect neighbours".

Although he had a number of remote controlled aircrafts and helicopters, friends said he had no longer owned a drone.
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The couple's release means the hunt now continues for those responsible for crippling Gatwick in the run up to the busiest time of the year.

Sussex Police Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said: “Both people have fully cooperated with our enquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick.

“Our inquiry continues at a pace to locate those responsible for the drone incursions, and we continue to actively follow lines of investigation."
 
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Now I know why the Police Firearms were told not to even think of attempting to shoot the drone down
 
Isn't there an Israeli company that specializes in airport drone defence systems. I feel another conspiracy coming on.

Edit.
Britain became the first customer of Rafael's anti-drone systems in August when it purchased six Drone Domes, believed to be worth a combined $20m., to protect sensitive military installations and sites on which British armed forces are deployed.

Rafael describes the Drone Dome as an "innovative end-to-end system designed to provide effective airspace defense against hostile drones used by terrorists and criminals to perform aerial attacks, collect intelligence, and other intimidating activities."
ShowImage.ashx

The system has 360-degree circular coverage and is designed to rapidly detect, track and neutralize drones classified as threats. The systems purchased by the British Army are not equipped with a laser-based beam to destroy the drones, but are capable of jamming radio frequencies to prevent the drone from being able to move.

Earlier this month, Argentinian authorities also relied on Israeli anti-drone technology to protect world leaders at the 2018 G20 Buenos Aires summit.

The Drone Guard system, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary ELTA Systems, blocked several suspicious drones approaching summit venues and hotels hosting foreign delegations. The system was also deployed in October to secure the opening ceremony of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympics.
https://www.jpost.com/International...brings-an-end-to-Gatwick-Airport-chaos-575054
 
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I see the police 'don't feel there is a need to apologise'

due to arrogance or just because it might make them look even more stupid......

the Daily Mail should be paying the couple compensation for their headline 'morons that ruined Christmas'
 
ban-all-sheds said:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/23/press-christmas-drone-suspects-gatwick-media
Click to expand...
One newspaper in particular, the Mail on Sunday, seems to me to have gone way over the top in its coverage. The front page of this morning’s issue was dominated by a picture of the pair next to the headline: “Are these the morons who ruined Christmas?”

That question mark is no defence and will surely offer the paper’s editor little, if any, wriggle room should the couple choose to complain to the regulator, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), or even take legal action.​
 
Doppleganger said:
I suspect the article was suitably worded to avoid libel.
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The test is whether the statement with or without the question mark, can be reasonably interpreted to assert fact. I think it might. Against that we have tightening of law via the 2013 defamation act. sec 3. So I think they might just be able to slide through the net, if push came to shove. However, I haven't read the articles and no doubt the papers will pay up to avoid the cost.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26/contents/enacted
 
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It's worth reading the Guardian article for a reminder of the case of that guy who was arrested 8 years ago on suspicion of murdering his tenant. He hadn't, and it ended up costing newspapers substantial damages and fines for contempt of court because of their reckless, arrogant, "publish and be damned" behaviour.
 
I expect the no win no fee Lawyers have already started banging on their door.
 
ban-all-sheds said:
Police who arrested an innocent couple over the Gatwick drone attack were last night accused of conducting an "appalling" investigation, after it emerged they had repeatedly ignored evidence from a key witness.

Paul Gait, 47, and his wife, Elaine Kirk, 54, were released without charge yesterday (Sun) after being questioned for 36 hours in connection with the disruption at Britain's second busiest airport.

But Mr Gait's boss, who was with him when the drone attacks took place, said detectives had not even bothered to call him back when he offered to provide an alibi.

John Allard, who runs the double glazing firm where former soldier, Mr Gait, has worked for 17-years, said the couple's Christmas had been ruined by the police operation.

The 68-year-old said he had been surprised not to hear from detectives after they arrested his employee and eventually took matters into his own hands by contacting them himself.

But he said despite leaving his details nobody got back to him to discuss his alibi.

Mr Allard said: "All it would have taken was for them to call me and contact me as his employer and I could have confirmed that all day Wednesday and half the day Thursday, he was part of a three-man team installing fascia, soffit and guttering at a client's home in Groombridge, Kent.

"On Friday he spent most of the day running my daughter about because she damaged one of her toes and he was ferrying her to the doctor."

Mr Allard went on: "I discovered on Friday evening that he had been arrested. I got onto the police on Saturday evening, but I couldn't get through to anybody.

"There was was just somebody who said I'll take notes and pass that message on. But they never did get back to me, there was no return contact."

Mr Allard accused the police of dropping the ball and said the couple would be "mentally destroyed" by their ordeal.

He said: "I know Paul well, he's worked for me for 17 years and this is going to hit him like a 10-tonne truck. Although there was a complete lack of evidence, the police ripped his house apart. I know this will mentally destroy him."
Mr Gait and his wife Elaine have been released without charge

He went on: "Sussex Police have really dropped the ball on this. I have always supported the police and I like to think I always would but in this case I think they have really got it wrong."

The couple were arrested at around 10pm on Friday evening following three days of chaos at Gatwick, which threatened to wreck the Christmas travel plans of hundreds of thousands of people.

But after two nights of questioning at Crawley Police station they were allowed home having been released without charge.

It is understood the police acted after receiving a tip off that Mr Gait, who was a drone enthusiast and lives less than two miles from Gatwick's perimeter, might be involved.

The couple, who have two teenage children between them, were recovering at their smart detached home in Crawley last night and were being comforted by relatives.
Show more

Ms Kirk's brother, Mark, said the ordeal they had been through was "beyond words".

He said: "She’s not good. It’s beyond words what we’ve all been through. It’s just frightening, very frightening to go through an experience like this."

Speaking from their parents' home in Crawley, he said he had no idea why the couple had fallen under suspicion.

He said: “There is no reason, I haven’t got a clue. It’s literally fingers being pointed in the wrong direction. Unfortunately we have all suffered.”

Mr Gait was a former gunner in the Royal Artillery who also worked as a security guard.

He and Ms Kirk, who works in the Unilever sales department, married in 2013 and were described by locals in their quiet cul-de-sac as the "perfect neighbours".

Although he had a number of remote controlled aircrafts and helicopters, friends said he had no longer owned a drone.
Show more

The couple's release means the hunt now continues for those responsible for crippling Gatwick in the run up to the busiest time of the year.

Sussex Police Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said: “Both people have fully cooperated with our enquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick.

“Our inquiry continues at a pace to locate those responsible for the drone incursions, and we continue to actively follow lines of investigation."
Click to expand...
"His house ripped apart,,,,will mentally destroy him""...what utter Ott journalistic crap
 
durhamplumber said:
"His house ripped apart,,,,will mentally destroy him""...what utter Ott journalistic crap
Click to expand...

Sometimes you should comprehend what you read. The journalists quoted the Boss of Mr Gait. DP

Mr Allard accused the police of dropping the ball and said the couple would be "mentally destroyed" by their ordeal.

He said: "I know Paul well, he's worked for me for 17 years and this is going to hit him like a 10-tonne truck. Although there was a complete lack of evidence, the police ripped his house apart. I know this will mentally destroy him."
 
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