AN AFGHAN man who was drunk and high on drugs and who shone a laser from a Barry park at a plane coming in to land at Cardiff Airport, has been jailed.

Failed asylum seeker Hossein Hosseini, aged 21, of Cardiff, caused the plane’s pilot to momentarily lose concentration when he shone the green light from Porthkerry Park.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Hosseini had been smoking cannabis before using the laser, and had supplied a friend with the drug.

He pleaded guilty to endangering the safety of an aircraft and to supplying a quantity of cannabis.

Defending Hosseini, Jeremy Jenkins said: “He came to this country as a 14-year-old with no English.

“He has not seen his family for seven years, and has been through experiences no 14-year-old should have to face.

“Despite this he has achieved high levels of literacy and numeracy.”

Hosseini’s right to remain in Britain expired in 2003 and he had been served deportation papers, but stayed in the country.

Sentencing Hosseini, Judge Eleri Rees, said: “Finding yourself here illegally, having arrived in 2002, and not being eligible to claim state benefits, you became involved in supplying cannabis to fund your own drug problem.

“On March 8, intoxicated with alcohol and drugs, you pointed this laser in the direction of the aircraft approaching Cardiff Airport.

“The consequences of that action could have been catastrophic. Fortunately there was no catastrophe.

“You are likely to be deported,” she added.

Hosseini was sentenced to six months imprisonment for supplying cannabis and an additional four months for endangering the safety of the plane. Barry pilot Phil Clarke welcomed the sentence.

“I haven’t had an experience like this thankfully, but it is isn’t something you would want when you are landing a plane,” he said.

“Cardiff Airport does not have the facilities for an autopiloted landing. Landing requires concentration and we rely on our eyesight.

“There are two pilots, so if one is blinded by something like a laser then there is another pilot to take over, but this isn’t something you want at the last minute.

“It isn’t the first case of lasers being shone at planes, but I hope the sentence deters anyone from doing something as stupid in the future.”