A man acquitted of killing a woman who fell from the balcony of his Gold Coast apartment was naked when found trapped in his car after a crash, a court has been told.
Eric Thomas, who was previously known as Gable Tostee, pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday to failing to supply both a specimen of breath and blood after the crash last year.
Thomas was first charged with driving under the influence of liquor, but that charge was dismissed.
Thomas, 35, was naked in the driver's seat of a vehicle when emergency services responded to the crash on the Gold Coast's Nerang-Broadbeach Road on October 13, magistrate Linda Bradford-Morgan was told.
A witness told police Thomas's vehicle had drifted, struck a concrete barrier and cut across another car before ploughing into bushes.
Thomas was highly unstable on his feet, had bloodshot eyes, a visibly dry mouth and slurred speech when out of the vehicle, the court heard.
He refused to give a breath sample at the scene and would not give consent to giving blood after being taken to hospital in an ambulance.
Officers found an alcometer and empty bottles of mouthwash in Thomas's vehicle.
Thomas, a carpet installer who resides with his parents on the Gold Coast, said he had consumed both alcohol and prescription medication for anxiety and insomnia.
"The next thing he recalls is he wakes up at the scene of the crash in the ambulance being spoken to by the police," his lawyer Nick Dore said.
Thomas had vague recollections of waking up the next morning, but no recollection of refusing to give a blood sample and saying "charge me" to police.
The court was told he suffered a concussion and a foot injury in the crash.
Mr Dore said Thomas was "exceptionally remorseful and sorry for the offending and embarrassed in relation to it".
Thomas has earlier convictions for dangerous operation of a vehicle while adversely affected by alcohol in 2011 and driving under the influence in 2004, 2012 and 2015, with Ms Bradford-Morgan referring to the most recent being at a "spectacular limit".
"People often use alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism, you need to keep on top of your mental health management plan and get that additional support to make sure you are not back in court," Ms Bradford-Morgan told Thomas during sentencing.
"You were very fortunate that you were not more seriously injured and didn't injure anyone else."
She ordered he serve 12 months on probation for one charge and fined him $350 fine for the other.
He had been banned from driving since the crash, with his licence now disqualified for a further 12 months.
Thomas, under the name of Tostee, was acquitted of murdering New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright who died when she fell from the 14th floor balcony of his apartment in August 2014.
