Cranbourne East ice addict pulls over into Notting Hill cops’ carpark to smoke drugs

POLICE in Notting Hill didn’t have to go far to arrest a dopey ice user when they nabbed him smoking the drug in their carpark.

AN INEPT ice addict can’t have been thinking too clearly when he stopped to smoke the drug — in a police carpark.

Not surprisingly officers were soon on the scene to arrest the brain-befuddled junkie, who has a long history of addiction.

Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court last week heard Butch Gersbeck had pulled into the Major Collision Unit storage complex in Notting Hill on December 1 last year.

The Cranbourne East 51-year-old had been seen on CCTV driving into the area about 10pm, and when officers went to investigate, they found him slumped over the steering wheel.

They roused him and searched his car, finding ice bags, cash, several mobile phones, glass pipes and digital scales.

It was also discovered his driving licence had been suspended just six weeks before for accruing too many demerit points.

His defence lawyer, Neil Howard, said Gersbeck had a “significant” history regarding the use of ice, and had tried repeatedly to kick the habit.

The Dandenong South business owner had done rehab in Byron Bay, Perth and Melbourne, but to no avail.

“There are unusual efforts, painstaking efforts, he has gone to rid himself of the illicit drug,” he said.

“The elephant in the room is his drug use; he simply cannot break the chain of personal use of it.

“He parked his vehicle in the major collision squad car park … he quickly came to the attention of police members.”

Magistrate Charles Tan said Gersbeck’s “terrible” history, especially of driving offending, and persistent drug use needed a court-imposed supervision sentence.

He said a good behaviour bond and fine, as suggested by the defence, did not go far enough as he was already on a corrections order for previous crimes which had not yet been completed.

Gersbeck was given a 12-month community corrections order, must perform 120 hours of unpaid work and attend drug, mental health and offending courses.

He was also banned from driving for another three months.