A former council worker from north Queensland has been sentenced to 12 months' jail for attempting to poison homeless people.

The Townsville District Court heard 65-year-old Neville Douglas Welsh was frustrated with cleaning up after homeless people who slept in the city's Dean Park.

Welsh's trial heard he left iced coffee bottles in the park containing methylated spirits and weed killer.

Witnesses told the court they heard Welsh say he would brew up medicine for the itinerants, that he wanted to "make them sick" and that the "Abos at the park should be shot".

Welsh's lawyer said his client was not on trial for saying such things.

"We don't live in perfect world - who hasn't heard these sorts of racist comments?" he told the court.

Welsh had pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempting to injure by noxious substance.

The jury found him guilty on both counts.

He was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended after six months.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Anthony Rafter said Welsh has shown a distinct lack of remorse.