Gable Tostee pleads guilty to drink-driving, failure to provide breath specimen

Gable Tostee has pleaded guilty to a drink-driving charge following a traffic crash which left him naked and trapped in his car. A magistrate cited previous traffic offences when ordering him off the road for 12 months.

A naked Gable Tostee had to be extracted from the wreckage of his car by emergency crews after he crashed while drink driving, a court has heard.

The embattled 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.

Tostee fronted the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty 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.

“You were trapped in your car, you were naked, you had driven off the road,” magistrate Linda Bradford-Morgan said.

Eric Thomas, formerly known as Gable Tostee, leaves Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Picture: Tara Croser.

“And a witness had informed police that you were on the right side of the road and drifting and that the witness observed you strike a concrete barrier, cross the road in front of the other vehicle before driving off the road and coming to a stop in scrub.”

Police observed Tostee was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes but he refused to submit to a breath or blood test.

The court heard Tostee suffered a concussion and injuries to his foot and had to be taken to hospital.

Defence lawyer Nick Dore said Tostee, who lives with his parents, had started his own carpet laying business which had a number of employees.

He said Tostee had been banned from driving following the crash in October.

“He himself has been without travel (since the crash) which has impacted the business,” Mr Dore said.

“He only started it (the business) several years ago as he explains when he was going okay.

“He’s now had a relapse in relation to his mental health issues and his drinking and he is now taking steps to fix that or to try alleviate that.”

Mr Dore said Tostee was trying to address his mental health issues and was engaged with a psychiatrist and a psychologist.

“I note you’re 35 years of age, you’ve had some battles with ADD and OCD and depression and importantly I’ve heard submissions that you are under a health care plan to address these issues,” Magistrate Bradford-Morgan said.

“As I’ve stated I am concerned given your traffic history that you received significant fines, first in relation to a dangerous operation of a vehicle affected by alcohol in January 2011.

“But your history includes previous counts of driving under the influence from 2004, 2012 and 2014 where you received a 15-month disqualification period at that point and you had an interlock period imposed.”

Tostee was sentenced to a 12 month probation order and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.