A neurological condition exacerbated by a relationship split likely caused an Albury teacher's six days of bizarre behaviour in January, a court has heard.
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Bruce Robert Arnott's offending included him walking naked around a Lavington hotel in front of shocked guests.
He was also seen in various states of undress at Mungabareena Reserve, where he was camping.
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The former Glenroy Public School teacher lit a fire to clean-up his camp site rubbish, only to have this spread 50 metres along the bank of the Murray River.
"It's a very unusual set of circumstances and events," defence lawyer Tim Hemsley told Arnott's sentencing hearing in Albury Local Court on Friday.
"He's a school teacher; well, he has been.
"Obviously that profession has come to an end.
"You've got a relationship breakdown, which seems to be the trigger."
Mr Hemsley said an expert medical assessment of Arnott was that he had been experiencing a mid-cerebral degenerative condition that resembled a form of dementia.
But until his relationship fell apart, he had managed to keep on top of the symptoms.
He committed the offences then was admitted to Albury hospital's mental health unit Nolan House as an involuntary patient for six weeks.
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Mr Hemsley said Arnott had returned to normal since his discharge and no longer needed medication.
When asked by magistrate Rodney Brender whether Arnott was still homeless, Mr Hemsley said Arnott was a self-funded retiree who had since bought a house.
Arnott, 63, previously pleaded guilty to larceny, enter enclosed lands without lawful excuse, drive with a low-range prescribed concentration of alcohol, offensive behaviour, wilful and obscene exposure, causing fire and being reckless as to its spread and to contravening an apprehended violence order.
He was convicted and placed on a 12-month community corrections order over the fire, for the drink-driving offence he lost his licence for three months and was fined $500 and for the other charges he received a 12-month conditional release order without conviction.
