THE mother of a nine-year-old boy who was killed in a helicopter crash had to leave court yesterday as a home movie of the flight was played.
Garry Malley died on a pleasure flight organised by TV celebrity Noel Edmonds's charity Airborne for special-needs youngsters.
The video, part of evidence at the trial at Forfar Sheriff Court of the pilot Robert Hobson, also captured footage from inside the cockpit prior to take-off.
Garry's mother, Sandra, was too upset to watch and outside court Garry's father, Mr Thomas Simpson, said: ''We are not going to say anything until the end of the trial.''
Tayside Police audio-visual technician Iain Strachan showed the court the six-and-a half-minute video taken at the Glamis transport extravaganza at Glamis Castle in Angus last year.
The helicopter was last seen flying over the treetops at Glamis before the recording ended.
Garry was killed when the helicopter crashed in a field beside Glamis Castle on July 13. He was one of several youngsters chosen to take part in a programme of pleasure flights. Mr Strachan later showed police video footage he took of the crash scene at Newhouse of Glamis Farm, about half a mile from the take-off site.
Wreckage, including the tail rotors, two sets of headphones, an aerial, and unidentified debris was strewn over the field.
The wreck of the helicopter's main fuselage lay on its left side a short distance from a damaged fence and an exposed irrigation pipe. Skid marks were also visible in the grass.
Mr Hobson denies putting passengers at risk by taking off with misted-up windows and flying the helicopter with restricted visibility.
The 56-year-old pilot, from Howgate, Penicuik, also denies overloading the helicopter by taking on board too many passengers.
Mr Hobson faces two charges of contravening the Air Navigation Act.
The charges state he acted recklessly or negligently and in a manner likely to endanger the helicopter and his five passengers by taking off and flying when visibility was restricted. It is alleged that misted-up windows caused the helicopter to collide with fences and crash.
It is also alleged Mr Hobson failed to comply with a condition of the helicopter's certificate of airworthiness by flying with six people on board and exceeding the maximum number of passengers. Four other children were injured in the crash.
Constable Roger Smale of Tayside Police showed the jury photographs of the wrecked aircraft lying on its side in a field.
The trial, before Sheriff James Scott, continues.
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