Man admits Cuba Mall car arson

Photo / supplied

A man who set fire to his car in a central Wellington pedestrian mall on election day last year has pleaded guilty to arson.

Christopher Palenski, 40, made a brief appearance at Wellington District Court today where his lawyer, Janine Bonifant, entered a guilty plea for the arson.

The fire and explosion was captured on video by passersby in the busy mall where people were shopping and dining at cafes.

Palenski also pleaded guilty to two unrelated charges of threatening to kill.

Those charges related to two incidents on November 22 when he called 111 and said he had planted two bombs at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and two bombs and the New Zealand Stock Exchange, police prosecutor Cherie Morgan said.

After standing outside the Stock Exchange building to see if it was evacuated Palenski was later found at the Radio New Zealand building.

Then, on November 26 - the day of the general elections - he drove his vehicle into Cuba Mall and set it on fire.

It was all captured on video, where Palenski was heard saying "fractional reserve lending is the root of our problems''.

Palenski, with cropped hair and a beard, stood quietly in the dock this morning.

Judge Bruce Davidson remanded Palenski in custody to be sentenced in April.