Gable Tostee claims he was sleep driving when he crashed his car ‘buck naked’

Notorious Tinder identity Gable Tostee claims he had been sleep driving when he was found “utterly buck” naked and covered in blood in his wrecked car.

Eric Thomas (Gable Tostee) leaving Brisbane Magistrates Court on drink driving charges. Pics Tara Croser.

Notorious Tinder identity Gable Tostee claims he had been sleep driving when he was found “utterly buck” naked and covered in blood in his wrecked car.

The well-known Gold Coaster, who now calls himself Eric Thomas, was acquitted of killing his Tinder date Warriena Wright, who plunged to her death from his Surfers Paradise high-rise in August 2014.

He took to social media on Sunday to defend his actions after pleading guilty, at Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday, to charges of drink-driving and failing to provide a specimen of breath following the crash on the Nerang-Broadbeach Rd in October last year.

Gable Tostee, who now calls himself Eric Thomas, claims he was sleep driving when he crashed his car while drink driving.

Tostee posted about 6.30am on Sunday that he was struggling to find a silver lining to his most recent run in with the law, before quoting “great philosopher” Ronan Keating.

“Imagine having a totally clean driving record for over 7 years straight then one day you go to bed and the next thing you know you wake up in hospital with a broken foot, concussion, covered in blood, and being charged by cops with no idea how you got there and no recollection of what happened, how or why,” he said.

“Just like that, you’ve lost your car, your ability to work, and any meaningful degree of independence, and on top of that, you’re facing punishment and shame for something you didn’t voluntarily do.”

Gable Tostee, who now calls himself Eric Thomas, claims he was sleep driving when he crashed his car while drink driving.

A social media user commented to ask whether Tostee believed he was sleep driving.

Tostee replied “Yes …”

“I believe it was not just the prior drinks, nor even the combination of that and pills, but the fact that I’d stayed awake (apparently) when I should have just passed out as I always would, I can only hypothesize (sic), but I believe I fell into a sleep-like state while still “conscious” if that makes any sense,” Tostee said.

“The act of wandering out of bed and getting in a car to go nowhere with no purpose makes no sense, even for an intoxicated person.”

Tostee on Thursday confirmed on social media that he was completely naked when he was found in his crashed car.

“Buck, utterly buck. Or so I was told,” he said.

Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday heard emergency crews had to extract a naked Tostee from the wreck.

The court heard he was trying to address his mental health issues before he was sentenced to a 12 month probation order and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Tostee in 2016 was found not guilty of the murder and manslaughter of Ms Wright, a 26-year-old New Zealander whom he met on dating app Tinder while she was visiting Australia for a friend’s wedding in 2014.

She fell to her death from his 14th floor balcony of the Avalon Riverside Apartments building after a night of drunken sex and violent arguing.