Matthew William Birtles pleaded guilty to public nuisance

As the Premier held crisis talks with frightened business owners and community leaders over anti-social misery in Maryborough’s CBD, a key instigator returned to court.

Matthew William Birtles, 45, pleaded guilty to public nuisance and drug offences when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court this week.

A repeat public nuisance who relentlessly screams swear words at Maryborough shoppers has returned to court just a few streets over from where the Premier held a crisis meeting over anti-social behaviour in the city’s CBD.

Matthew William Birtles, 45, pleaded guilty in Maryborough Magistrates Court to public nuisance and drug offences.

The court heard on July 21, 2025, police received multiple calls throughout the afternoon about a man swearing and screaming abuse around the city, including outside Maryborough Central Plaza and Fresh and Save supermarket.

His behaviour was so unsettling, people took steps to avoid him as they went into the shopping centre, the court heard.

Police attended the scene and saw Birtles screaming and yelling obscenities, and while police tried to get him to stop, he continued and was arrested for public nuisance.

His behaviour continued in the vehicle, and he was taken to Maryborough Watchhouse.

The court heard that after Birtles was placed in custody, the arresting officer was made aware of other jobs that had been called in earlier in relation to his behaviour, including an incident where he was screaming and swearing at the intersection of Bazaar and Ellena Streets to the point where people were avoiding him.

Matthew William Birtles, 45, pleaded guilty to public nuisance and drug offences when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court this week.

While his property was being examined at the Maryborough Watchhouse, a backpack was searched, and police found a broken ice pipe in a piece of tissue and a clipseal bag of crystal substance alleged to be meth weighing 0.2 grams.

Police also located two balls of cannabis during the search, the court was told.

Birtles made admissions regarding possession of the drugs and utensils.

It’s far from the first time Birtles, who sleeps rough and has tourettes, has been in court for public nuisance.

During a September 2024 court appearance, where his repeat offending was discussed, he admitted to terrorising residents with swear words in the CBD.

Duty lawyer Warren Hunter said on Monday Birtles had no permanent place of residence and he had significant mental health issues.

He was not taking medication but was self-medicating with drugs, Mr Hunter claimed.

“If he does have mental health issues the last place he should be is in prison, he should be receiving help,” he said.

The court heard Birtles had now been sentenced for 11 public nuisance charges in the last three years.

Magistrate John Milburn said Birtles had underlying mental health issues but was not treated other than his reported self-treatment through the use of illicit drugs.

“That is not a manner of appropriately dealing with mental health,” he said.

“You’ve had many opportunities to engage with mental health providers, but it would seem you choose not to do so or, if you do, you do not comply with any form of medication regime.”

Mr Milburn said he appreciated the trouble Birtles had experienced in his life, and his homelessness weighed heavily, but the community expected and deserved better.

Birtles was given a head sentence of 14 days in prison, wholly suspended for an operational period of four months.

He was also fined $800 and convictions were recorded.

Birtles wasn’t the only CBD troublemaker to be sentenced on Monday with Neil Charles Harrild also pleading guilty to public nuisance over his “tirade of abuse and swearing”.

It comes as Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and Maryborough MP John Barounis met with business and community leaders on Monday about the escalating social issues surrounding drug-addled vagrants in the CBD.

Mr Crisafulli said he had “never seen” the kind of scenes which were unfolding in Maryborough anywhere else and promised community safety was a “priority”.

More here.

Originally published as Matthew William Birtles pleaded guilty to public nuisance