Base jumper pleads guilty to criminal nuisance charges

Ilies Nait El Cadi, a Belgian base jumper, appeared in Auckland District Court and pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal nuisance. The charges replaced original burglary accusations.

The incidents occurred during a jump from the under-construction Seascape Tower in September and an unauthorized access to Hotel Indigo's roof in October.

On September 28, Nait El Cadi climbed security fencing and accessed the 41st floor of the Seascape construction site before jumping, freefalling toward pedestrians. He later posted video of the jump on Instagram.

On October 20, he used a stairwell to reach the Hotel Indigo roof, where his parachute became entangled with the building, stranding him. Emergency responders, including up to 30 personnel, were called to the scene.

Firefighters broke a glass panel to rescue him, while police cordoned off streets below. During his arrest, Nait El Cadi acknowledged the risk of his actions, citing a friend's death in a similar incident a month earlier.

In court, his lawyer, Deborah Reed, stated he took full responsibility and cooperated with police. She noted he planned to return to Belgium but was delayed due to legal proceedings to see his terminally ill grandmother.

Police requested the destruction of his parachute, while his lawyer argued for its return. The court heard Nait El Cadi had set aside $22,000 for reparation. Judge Brooke Gibson adjourned the matter to Thursday for full payment.