Richard Heene pleads guilty

Richard Heene, the father of the balloon buy, has pled guilty to one charge.

The Telegraph reports that he did so on the basis that if he didn't then his wife, who is not an American citizen, could be charged with a more serious crime and thus be deported from the US.

Richard Heene, the father accused of pulling a spectacular hoax by reporting his son, Falcon, was aboard a runaway balloon has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant.

Richard and Mayumi Heene appeared in a Colorado court on Friday. Mr Heene, 48, entered a guilty plea and his wife, Mayumi -a 45-year-old Japanese national who could have been deported if convicted of more serious charges - admitted a misdemeanor offense of false reporting to authorities.

I can't help but think that it's rather a sad end to what was in fact a fascinating story.