Man’s nose for trouble

A MAN caught sniffing gas from an 8.5kg bottle on the side of a Nerang road will spend the next month in jail.

Joshua Doyle, 31, pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court yesterday to common nuisance and possessing stolen property.

Doyle was caught on a grassed area across from Zambrero and Caltex on NerangBroadbeach Rd, Nerang with the 8.5kg LPG bottle between his legs about 1.40pm on Tuesday.

His nose was close to the nozzle and when police approached they could smell the gas.

Doyle, who is homeless, told police he was aware he was putting other people in danger but that he had an addiction.

The gas bottle, the same size as used on a barbecue, had been stolen.

Defence lawyer Danielle Hurda, of Bamberry Lawyers, said Doyle had been battling an addiction to “chroming” since he was 14. “He was trying to get assistance for this when he was in the Brisbane Correctional Centre,” she said. “He said there was no one with qualifications in this there.”

Doyle has previously been placed behind bars for instances relating to his addiction.

Magistrate Gary Finger said Doyle needed to get help for the addiction.

“If he went out there today he would be out getting another gas bottle,” he said.

Mr Finger sentenced him to for months prison with parole release on June 30.