Double killer: Murderer convicted of McLaren Falls manslaughter of Mitchell Paterson

Leon Wilson was jailed for 13 years.

By RNZ

A man on life parole has been jailed for 13 years for the death of a man whose body was found at McLaren Falls in July last year.

Mitchell Paterson, 26, died after being held in a choke-hold in the back of a car in Hamilton in July.

His body was later thrown off a bridge into the McLaren Falls in Bay of Plenty.

Leon Wilson, 49, was earlier found guilty of the manslaughter and kidnapping of Paterson.

Mitchell Paterson, 26, died after being held in a choke-hold in the back of a car in Hamilton in July.

Today Wilson has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.

He is a former gang leader who is on life parole with previous convictions, including murder, rape and aggravated robbery.

The Crown said Wilson was the central figure in the death of Paterson and that he posed a high risk of re-offending.

A total of eight people were charged over the death - five of them pleaded guilty and three, including Wilson, were found guilty at trial.