A drug dealer who ran away after police raided his home tried to hide in a wardrobe in a stranger's house, a court heard.
Officers armed with a warrant arrived at 19-year-old Brendan Vinter's home in Moston while he was 'working on the product', his lawyer said, packing brown powder and white rocks into small plastic bags.
He panicked and ran out of the property on Chinley Avenue, and made it to another house about 200 yards away on Edale Avenue, which was unlocked.
Police found Vinter hid in the wardrobe of an upstairs bedroom. The resident had 'no idea' that Vinter was there - and didn't know him.
During the chase, Vinter had dumped a shotgun.
But officers soon caught up with him and he was arrested and found with a knife.
They went back to his home and discovered 64 wraps of heroin, with a street value of £1,960, and 112 wraps of cocaine with a value of £2,620, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Cartridges capable being fired were also found in a pillowcase, and the shotgun was in working order.
It had been stolen during a burglary in March last year, prosecutor Andrew Mackintosh said.
Officers also found 'bundles of £20 and £10 notes' in the house.
Vinter had been using the knife to cut up the drugs when the police arrived, his lawyer Patrick Cassidy said.
He bundled up the gun and knife in panic and went to see 'refuge' in the neighbours house, at about 4pm on February 5, Mr Cassidy added.
The lawyer said that Vinter had the 'common sense' not to try to use the shotgun or knife to try and escape from the police.
After leaving school with nine GCSE's at grades of C or above, Vinter dropped out of college and started using cannabis, the court heard.
Mr Cassidy said there were also 'hints' of Vinter suffering from undiagnosed mental health issues, which could have made him more vulnerable to more sophisticated criminals.
Jailing Vinter for six years, Judge Suzanne Goddard QC told him: "You were involved in the business of drug dealing, albeit it may very well be that you were acting on the decisions of others.
"But you clearly played a significant role."
Vinter pleaded guilty to four offences.
They included one count of possession of a bladed article; one count of possession with intent to supply heroin; one count of possession with intent to supply cocaine and one count of possession of a shotgun in a public place.
After the hearing, DC James Donnelly, of GMP’s Operation Challenger within the City of Manchester Division, said: "By possessing a firearm and being involved in the supply of drugs, Vinter was putting members of the public across Greater Manchester at risk.
"GMP will not allow offenders to put communities in danger and that is why specialist teams like Challenger, which is dedicated to tackling serious and organised crime, are such a valuable resource for the force.
"I hope today’s result reassures the public that GMP is constantly working behind the scenes to identify those involved in criminal activity and disrupt them - ultimately bringing them to face justice."
