A man who claimed to be taking his hour's exercise after eight police officers were sent to disperse a 'large gathering' has been jailed for a 'clear breach' of lockdown rules.
Billy Bowen, 28, has been sentenced to nine months.
Police were called to a field in Moss Side, after residents reported that around 15 to 20 people were sat on chairs and drinking alcohol on a Friday night.
Manchester Crown Court heard police went to the scene to break up the gathering at around 7.30pm on April 10.
"Clearly this was going against the government guidance during the coronavirus pandemic," prosecutor Simone Flynn said.
When they arrived most people left, but a few remained, including Bowen.
Bowen started took issue with being asked to leave.
He told the police to 'get back into their vehicles' as he held a glass, which appeared to contain spirits.
Bowen, then the only person left, told officers he was taking his hour's exercise for the day.
After a few minutes, he appeared to agree to go back to his home, which was just opposite the field near Quinney Crescent.
As he walked back he called one of the officers a 'f****t'.
When he tried to climb over a six foot fence, police detained him.
As he was restrained, officers noticed Bowen had a three-inch lock knife in his waistband.
At the time, Bowen was also subject to a suspended sentence imposed for dangerous driving.
In July, he lost control of his BMW during a high speed police chase, crashing it into another vehicle and injuring the driver.
Defending, David James said Bowen is 'embarrassed' about his behaviour and wanted to apologise.
Mr James described Bowen's behaviour as 'belligerence' rather than 'anything more malign'.
He said Bowen had experienced 'issues with local gangs' as a younger man, and had 'hoped to have been turning his life around'.
Bowen has been helping other young men to 'divert others from that path', Mr James said.
Mr James appealed to the judge to consider sparing Bowen jail, as he said prison sentences are now 'far harder' than previously due to lockdown conditions.
But Judge Richard Mansell QC said the incident was a 'clear defiance of the government's lockdown order'.
"Your behaviour on this occasion represented a sad departure from that recent pretty good behaviour," the judge said.
"You let yourself down on that occasion."
Bowen, of Quinney Crescent, Moss Side, pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon, using threatening or abusive words or behaviour and breaching a suspended sentence.
