Caught something illegal with my drone… will it hold up in court?

Getting Started Topics Drone Regulations
1

Hey everyone, this is a question for folks in the UK. While flying my drone in the countryside on a public bridleway, I captured some illegal activity on video. I’ve already reported it to the police and made a statement, and now it’s with the CPS to see if they’ll pursue it.

But I’ve got a couple of questions. First, my flight log shows the footage was recorded while my drone was 800+ meters away from me (I could still see it with binoculars). Have I broken any laws because of this distance? Second, do you think this video will be valid evidence in court? Appreciate any insights or advice!

2

If the CPS is moving forward with the case and using your footage, I wouldn’t stress too much. They wouldn’t use evidence that might get thrown out, right?

3

Reese said:
If the CPS is moving forward with the case and using your footage, I wouldn’t stress too much. They wouldn’t use evidence that might get thrown out, right?

Yeah, just keep quiet about the distance thing and let them handle it.

4

@Paz
Exactly, don’t overthink it. Let the professionals do their job.

5

@Paz
Fair point… probably best to stay out of it now.

6

Reeve said:
@Paz
Fair point… probably best to stay out of it now.

Just something to think about—sounds like you’re worried about a minor rule while you helped catch something way bigger.

7

It’s true what they say… no good deed goes unpunished.

8

Even if you’re worried about breaking a rule, I think you did the right thing by reporting it. They don’t need to know every single detail.

9

In the UK? The system will probably go after you for the drone thing and let the criminal off easy.

10

Rory said:
In the UK? The system will probably go after you for the drone thing and let the criminal off easy.

Yeah, and in the US they’d probably just escalate it with guns involved.

11

@Wynn
Exactly… same ending, just faster over there.

12

Rory said:
In the UK? The system will probably go after you for the drone thing and let the criminal off easy.

You’re not wrong. The UK justice system seems so backwards right now. It’s a mess.

13

What kind of illegal activity did you see? Personally, I’m not a fan of drones being used to report stuff. It just feeds into the idea of drones as surveillance tools, and that can hurt the hobby for everyone.

14

@Weston
If a law is being broken, isn’t it everyone’s business? Maybe attitudes like yours are why things are so bad.

15

Reeve said:
@Weston
If a law is being broken, isn’t it everyone’s business? Maybe attitudes like yours are why things are so bad.

I get your point, but where I live (not the UK), drone pilots are constantly harassed because people are scared of privacy violations. Reporting crimes could make things worse for the community and lead to stricter rules.

16

Reeve said:
@Weston
If a law is being broken, isn’t it everyone’s business? Maybe attitudes like yours are why things are so bad.

If someone spots you breaking a drone rule, wouldn’t it be fair for them to report you? It’s hard to argue when you’re picking which laws to follow.

17

@Nile
There’s a difference between minor infractions and serious crimes. Context matters. Sometimes, a bit of common sense is needed.

18

Sky said:
@Nile
There’s a difference between minor infractions and serious crimes. Context matters. Sometimes, a bit of common sense is needed.

Sure, but if everyone starts bending the rules, we’ll all end up with stricter regulations. It’s a slippery slope.

19

Reeve said:
@Weston
If a law is being broken, isn’t it everyone’s business? Maybe attitudes like yours are why things are so bad.

If you weren’t maintaining line of sight with your drone, that could be an issue. Curious though—what exactly did you see?

20

@Jace
The drone should have been visible to the naked eye, but I used binoculars. Not sure if that matters for the case. Depends on how good their defense lawyer is.