He had intended to fly home on October 25 but has remained in New Zealand, with his passport confiscated, as a result of the charges.
“This whole incident has cost him significantly,” the lawyer said, adding Nait El Cadi now understands he has to be mindful of rules and laws when visiting other countries. “This is something that he doesn’t anticipate would happen again.
“He’s quite remorseful for his actions.”
Nait El Cadi, who previously kept his identity guarded as he posted his stunts on social media under the screen name “ilies_nec”, first featured New Zealand in a video posted in September in which he parachuted from the uncompleted 187m-tall Seascape building.
The jump had actually taken place in June, court documents allege.
Police filed charges last month after a failed jump from the Hotel Indigo that resulted in a dramatic rescue and about $20,000 in damages to the building.
First responders were seen smashing through a hotel window in order to pull Nait El Cadi to safety as he dangled from the building at about 70m.
In multiple interviews since the rescue, the content creator has apologised repeatedly for the failed jump.
“Unfortunately, when my parachute opened, it spun around and crashed into the building,” he told the Herald. “Unfortunately, the building wasn’t smooth, and the parachute got caught on a metal bar on the facade.
“I was able to hold on to it while waiting for the rescue team to arrive.”
He thanked emergency responders “for their help, kindness” and said he tried to adhere to a set of personal principles for each stunt: “Never break anything to access a jump, never endanger or disturb anyone other than myself.”
Nait El Cadi told the Herald he initially only intended to do one jump in New Zealand and he believed he had a good reception from his Seascape jump based on the online comments. The hotel jump had been a last-minute decision, he said.
At today’s hearing, police prosecutor Anthony Ji agreed to swap out the charges but asked the judge that Nait El Cadi’s parachute be destroyed “to deter similar activities”.
The defendant asked that it be returned so he could repair it and use it for legal activities when he returns home. Reed asked that the case be finished immediately so her client could return home.
Judge Gibson has not yet issued a decision on the matter.
“He does have a grandmother who has cancer and who he’s informed has limited time in terms of her life,” she explained to the judge.
In addition to base jumps, Nait El Cadi also features clips of him climbing structures without a parachute. The other stunts do not appear to have occurred in New Zealand.
Belgian base jumper Ilies Nait El Cadi appears in Auckland District Court on October 27 after a botched stunt resulted in criminal charges. Photo / Michael Craig
In one, he dangles by one hand at the top of a massive antenna, doing pull-ups.
In another, he walks around the rim of a smokestack.
“Fear of death is often a source of anxiety and suffering which can prevent us from fully enjoying life,” he wrote in French as the caption for the post. “So instead of worrying about the inevitable, let’s focus on finding happiness and fully living in the present.”
It concluded with the hashtag #adrenalinerush.
Nait El Cadi is described in the agreed summary of facts for his case as a “prolific base jumper” known for posting his stunts to Instagram.
“The defendant jumped over the perimeter fence and security hoardings to gain access to the stairwell,” the documents state of his jump from the Seascape building. “Using the stairwell, the defendant gained access to the open top-floor of the building, which is 41 levels above the ground.
“The building is a construction site, with numerous insecure items and hazards, which if they fell would seriously endanger the lives of pedestrians on the footpath below.”
The documents noted that the jump took place around 7.15am, a busy commute time.
He landed in the street, putting himself and commuters at risk, authorities noted.
The parachute could be seen against the Hotel Indigo building during the late-night rescue. Photo / NZ Herald
The second stunt started at 10pm on October 20, with Nait El Cadi again accessing the stairwell and making his way up to the roof of the Hotel Indigo on Albert St. He was not a guest and “had no lawful reason” to be in the stairwell, documents state.
“While the parachute was deployed, it got caught on part of the outside structure of the building, resulting in the defendant hanging about halfway down from the building,” the summary of facts states.
“This caused significant risk to the defendant and the public.”
Firefighters and police located him outside the 23rd floor, with the Fire and Emergency New Zealand rope team deployed to rescue him. Police had to rope off the footpath below, with shards of the hotel window falling about 100m. In all, an estimated 20 to 30 emergency responders were on the scene.
Although the full cost of the stunt is not yet known, police suggested it would be in the ballpark of $25,000. Authorities have not yet received price quotes for the cost of having a specialist remove the parachute ropes from the building exterior, and replacing the glass, including shipping it from China.
Belgian base jumper Ilies Nait El Cadi, charged with burglary after a botched stunt, declines comment as he leaves court on October 27. Photo / Michael Craig
After his rescue and subsequent arrest, Nait El Cadi acknowledged how risky his behaviour had been.
A friend of his had died just a month earlier in a similar incident, he said.
He declined to comment as he left court this afternoon.
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.