Luke James Gniel hid from police in croc-inhabited creek

A wanted man who evaded police for hours by hiding in a creek known to be crocodile habitat has been sentenced on a slew of assault, drug and obstruction charges.

Machinery operator, Luke James Gniel, 45, committed a series of increasingly violent crimes over six months before he was ultimately held in custody after trying to escape police by fleeing into a creek.

A wanted man who evaded police for hours by hiding in an Edge Hill creek known to be crocodile habitat has been sentenced on a slew of assault, drug and obstruction charges.

The “unusual” episode on January 10, 2025, was described in Cairns Magistrates Court as the “crescendo” of increasingly violent offences committed by farm worker and machinery operator Luke James Gniel, 45, over six months.

Police prosecutor David Epstein said Gniel tied up police and water rescue teams for two-and-a-half hours, hiding under the waterline, before he was arrested inside the police cordone that had to be set up.

Gniel, 45, hid from the police in Saltwater Creek for two-and-a-half hours, tying up police and water rescue teams, before he was arrested.

Police had been called to an incident nearby earlier that day when Gniel hit his friend over the head with a small plastic chair after an argument, the court was told.

The victim suffered cuts and bruises, and Gniel was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm while armed.

Gniel, who was said to have no prior criminal history of violence or jail sentences, pleaded guilty in Cairns Magistrates Court to 15 offences that took place over three different days and places between July 2024 and January 10, 2025 – the day he fled into the creek and was arrested.

Mr Epstein told the court Gniel came to the attention of police on July 25, 2024, when he threw verbal abuse at ambulance officers and asked them for food, obstructing them from their duties during a call-out at Manunda.

Gniel came to the attention of police three times in six months, first when he abused ambulance officers attending a job, second when he got into a fight at a motel and third when he assaulted a friend and hid in the creek.

Several months later in September, Gniel got into an argument over keys at a city motel and assaulted several people during the melee.

He was found to have a knife, cannabis and drug utensils when police arrested him, the court was told, and police charged him with 10 offences including common assault and assault occasioning bodily harm.

Gniel was remanded in custody after the last incident in January with the creek and the plastic chair, and Magistrate Jakub Lodziak said he took into account the 115 days Gniel had served in custody.

Magistrate Lodziak sentenced Gniel to 16 months imprisonment with a parole release date of May 12, 2025.

Defence solicitor Ken Cuthbertson told the court Gniel had recently been suffering mental health issues and struggling with drug use, which had led to a “deterioration in his behaviour”.

“It’s unusual behaviour and it is consistent with his drug use and mental health.” Mr Cuthbertson said.

Originally published as Luke James Gniel hid from police in croc-inhabited creek