A 42-year-old man from Nottingham, according to the Metropolitan Police, has become the first person in the UK to be successfully prosecuted and convicted on drone-related charges. Nigel Wilson pleaded guilty to nine offences of flying drones over buildings or congested areas—acts that are illegal under the Air Navigation Order 2009. Wilson was sentenced to a fine of £1,800, and is now barred from owning, flying, or helping anyone else fly a drone for the next two years.

In late 2014, Wilson flew drones over a number of sports stadia around the country, including the Emirates stadium in north London and the Etihad stadium in Manchester. According to the Met Police report, during a September 2014 incident at Liverpool's Anfield stadium, Wilson "flew the drone close to mounted officers at the match, startling the horses on a busy walkway outside the stadium. Officers struggled to regain control as the horses reared and narrowly avoided hitting members of the public walking nearby."

Wilson was also found to have flown drones "over or near" some important London landmarks, such as the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the Shard, and HMS Belfast.

Wilson was initially arrested and released on bail in October 2014 following the Etihad stadium fly-over, and then was arrested again in January by the Met Police following a joint investigation with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It isn't clear how the authorities tracked Wilson down, but the Met report does note that Wilson posted some of the drone-captured videos on YouTube...

Sections 166 and 167 of the Air Navigation Order 2009 lay out a number of provisions for small unmanned aircraft and small unmanned surveillance aircraft, and Wilson violated a number of them. In the UK, you're not allowed to fly a drone within 50 metres of anything that the drone pilot isn't in control of, such as other people, vessels, vehicles, or structures. Drones should always be within line-of-sight of the pilot, too, and drones are not allowed within 150 metres of any congested area or "an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons."

Wilson was sentenced by the Westminster Magistrates' Court to a fine of £1,800, plus costs of £600—a relatively light punishment, considering this was apparently the first ever criminal conviction for drone flying in the UK. In addition to the fine, a Criminal Behaviour Order barring Wilson from touching, using, or helping other people fly drones for two years was also issued.

Earlier this year, the CAA admitted that the Air Navigation Order, which was penned before consumer-grade quadcopters took off, is in need of revision. It isn't likely that the regulations will be softened towards drones, though. The CAA is expected to announce some new provisions before the end of 2015.