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Locals in outback Australia salute a man who drove his light aircraft through town and stopped outside the pub for a drink
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Police in Australia plan to charge a man who drove his aircraft down the main street of an outback mining town and parked it at the local pub.
The 37-year-old drew laughs and praise from locals of Newman, Western Australia after he taxied his Beechcraft two seater prop-driven aircraft from one side of town to the other at 2.30pm before coming to a stop outside the Newman Hotel’s Purple Pub, a popular local pub. He then apparently went inside for a drink.
Police said the man’s behaviour was “pretty stupid” and he will face charges, if an appropriate offence can be found.
"People think it was a bit of a laugh but it was very dangerous and we're not very happy with it," said Mark McKenzie, the local police sergeant.
"Kids were coming home from school. It could have been very ugly. All he needed was one gust of wind ... because without the wings, it's not stable… It was a pretty stupid thing to do.”
The light aircraft did not have wings and reportedly had its propeller running and was being steered by foot pedals. Locals believe the incident, which occurred last Friday, was a prank, possibly for Halloween.
"It's certainly caused a lot of banter and a fair few laughs ... we've no idea where it came from, but it's now parked up in the car park of the pub," witness George Christianson told local media.
"It's definitely been the cause of a lot of chatter."
Police said the man passed a breath test for alcohol and did not cause any traffic accidents or try to avoid arrest.
"I'm confident that he will be charged with something soon," said sergeant McKenzie.
"I would assume there would be an offence under the criminal code that may fit the bill.”
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Call me old fashioned, but I was always led to believe that, in these matters, the principle was 'let the punishment fit the crime'.
It appears that they are trying to make the crime fit the punishment. Perhaps they do things the other way around in Oz.
Well, the water goes down the plughole in the opposite direction, maybe that has something to do with it.
Daily Telegraph