Paraglider jailed for endangering public

Paraglider Mark Poole has been jailed for endangering the public. File photo / Alan Gibson

A paraglider who hit a tree on Mount Maunganui's Marine Parade, then fell 6m onto the road, has been jailed for a further nine months for deliberately risking endangering the public.

Mark Poole, 53, from the Lower Kaimais, was sentenced in Tauranga District Court today after being found guilty of a charge of operating a paraglider in a manner causing unnecessary danger to others, following a defended hearing last month.

The crash-landing happened on June 17, 2012 as Poole came into land after jumping from the northern face of Mauao Summit.

Poole is already a serving prisoner after being jailed for two years one month late last year on cannabis cultivation and other drug possession charges.

Judge Peter Rollo delivered his reserved decision today.

Poole's added prison sentence includes time for two charges of operating a paraglider without a warrant of fitness which stems from the same crash and a further illegal flight on October 31 last year, plus an unrelated breach of protection order involving his wife.

Judge Rollo, who rejected Poole's claim that he did not intentionally take an illegal flight path and hit "bad air", also disqualified him from flying any aircraft for 12 months.