Toowoomba man goes from top solicitor to living on street

THE tragic tale of a former Toowoomba solicitor’s downfall into homelessness after a mental breakdown has been revealed in court.

The 47-year-old man, who has also authored three books, fronted the city’s Magistrates Court yesterday after racially abusing a cashier before attempting to spray graffiti on the property and getting into an altercation with his neighbour.

The incident took place after he entered the 7/11 service station in Harristown earlier this year.

He pleaded guilty to the charges of trespassing and committing a public nuisance, but his solicitor revealed how he once had grand ambitions before his life spiralled out of control.

After gaining a law degree from the Queensland University of Technology, the man went on to get a job at a highflying law firm.

The court heard how due to a mental breakdown, he became homeless for an extended period where he was eventually picked up with numerous injuries as a result of being out in the elements for weeks on end.

It was revealed during his solicitor’s submissions to the court that the man had turned to literature at one point in his life, and had three books published to date.

The altercation with his neighbour came after the accused turned to alcohol in a bid to deal with the ongoing longterm conflict. When police arrived the man’s face was covered in yellow paint.

Taking into consideration his mental well-being, Magistrate Damien Carroll put the man on an $800 good behaviour bond for six months with the convictions not recorded.