HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – A 31-year-old former airport mechanic, who sparked a full-scale early-morning emergency by illegally boarding a jetliner at the L.F. Wade International Airport, has been remanded in custody for two weeks after pleading guilty to two charges.
Lorenzo Lottimore, a licensed small plane pilot, admitted in Magistrates’ Court to trespassing in a restricted zone and illegally boarding an aircraft last Tuesday at 3.35 am.
Firefighters and the bomb squad were called to the scene.
The court heard that Lottimore told police during questioning that he boarded the New York-bound American Airlines (AA) plane to try to enter the cockpit to look at data intended to help the pilot land the plane. He was not able to enter the cockpit because it was locked, the court was told.
The emergency delayed the flight – which was carrying Bermuda’s Commonwealth Games team en route to India – by eight hours. Another AA flight to Miami was delayed by three hours.
Crown counsel Robert Welling said that security at the airport noticed a silver ladder by an AA plane and went to investigate.
As they approached, they recognised Lottimore, who had worked at the airport for 10 years as a mechanic until recently, folding up the ladder.
Police later arrested Lottimore at his home.
The prosecutor told the court that there were concerns about the defendant’s mental state and fears he would reoffend if released on bail.
He described Lottimore as having an “obsession” with planes.
Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner described Lottimore’s explanation for his actions as “bizarre”.
He ordered a psychological assessment of Lottimore to be completed as well as pre-sentencing reports. (CMC)
