A Belgian base jumper accused of scaling two Auckland skyscrapers has pleaded guilty after police downgraded the charges against him.
Ilies Nait El Cadi appeared in the Auckland District Court today, where two burglary charges were amended to criminal nuisance. He admitted both charges.
The charges relate to a jump from the under-construction Seascape Tower in September and last month's incident at Hotel Indigo.
According to the police summary of facts, Nait El Cadi climbed security fencing and accessed the 41st floor of the Seascape construction site before jumping at about 7.15am on September 28, freefalling towards pedestrians. He later posted video of the jump on Instagram.
Less than a month later, on October 20, he used a stairwell to gain unauthorised access to Hotel Indigo's roof before becoming stranded when his parachute caught the outside of the building around 10pm.
The incident triggered a major emergency response, with up to 30 personnel attending.
Firefighters smashed a glass panel to reach him while police cordoned off streets below.
The person, dubbed iliesnec, took the jump off the Seascape tower, a stalled residential development in the CBD. (Source: Supplied)
During his arrest, Nait El Cadi had acknowledged the risk of his actions, telling officers that his friend had died in a similar incident a month earlier.
In court on Monday, lawyer Deborah Reed said Nait El Cadi took full responsibility for his actions and had cooperated with police.
She said the 22-year-old had planned to return to Belgium last month but had been unable to leave because of the proceedings. He wanted to return home to see his terminally ill grandmother, she said.
Police sought the destruction of his parachute, while his lawyer said it should be returned.
The court heard Nait El Cadi had set aside $22,000 for reparation.
Judge Brooke Gibson adjourned the matter to Thursday so full payment could be made.
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