Intoxicated man blind in one eye climbs high-rise

AN INTOXICATED man who is blind in one eye climbed the outside of the Heritage Bank building after being kicked out of a licensed venue.

William George McCormack, 25, was recorded on CCTV walking away from Muller Bros in the CBD on March 2 before climbing the CBD high-rise.

He was seen to lose his footing a number of times before he was arrested.

Magistrate Catherine Pirie said McCormack had “little concern” for his own safety.

He was sentenced to 12 months probation.

A MAN who is blind in one eye who climbed to the top of a Toowoomba CBD high-rise while drunk has been refused a fine and instead sentenced to 12 months probation.

William George McCormack was celebrating a friend’s engagement at Muller Bros the night of March 2 when security told him to leave the premises, the Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard. On being refused re-entry, CCTV recorded McCormack walking through the CBD before he climbed the exterior of the Heritage Bank building.

Witnesses told responding police McCormack appeared to lose his footing and almost fall from the building a number of times before he was found hiding on the roof about 11.20pm.

He was arrested and taken to the police watch-house, prosecutor Nicola Prince told the court.

She said McCormack later obstructed police when he leapt onto a watch-house bench and refused to get down.

Solicitor Brad Skuse, for McCormack, said alcohol had “played a part” in his client’s actions that night, and initially submitted a fine would be appropriate given the offending.

But Magistrate Catherine Pirie noted McCormack had been sentenced by a court on two other occasions including a $2000 fine in 2016 for public nuisance and obstruct police charges.

“You were heavily intoxicated and blind in one eye with little concern for your own safety,” she said. “Here you are again, you are not getting another fine. (Police) have better things to do than deal with you while (you’re) intoxicated.”

McCormack, 25, pleaded guilty to unregulated high-risk activities, obstruct police and public nuisance.

Unable to complete community service due to his employment as a fencer, Ms Pirie sentenced McCormack to 12 months probation with conditions including the requirement he not be drunk and pass random breath tests.

Convictions were recorded.