A man has appeared in court after breaching the coronavirus lockdown restrictions for a SECOND time.
Mohamed Boshaala, 23, swore at officers and told them "I won't go home" after being found loitering outside a block of student flats a court heard.
He spent a night in the cells and appeared at Manchester Magistrates Court on Wednesday, April 15, where he was fined before being released.
A judge was told it was the second time he had had to be punished for breaching the newly introduced laws enforcing the 'stay at home' order and had threatened to do it again.
Police were called to a student accommodation block on Nobel Way just off Charles Street and close to Oxford Road in the city centre at around 11:40pm on Tuesday night, Robin Lynch prosecuting said.
"There was a report of a male in the area" Mr Lynch said.
"They had dealt with the defendant on a previous occasion for a similar matter.
"He was spoken to on that occasion and said he 'wanted to see his tutor to get some work.'
"He was spoken to again on this occasion and he swore at officers and said he wouldn't return home and that if he was returned home he would just come out again.
"They searched their records and found he had been given a fixed penalty for similar matter on the 9th of April.
"He was spoken to and asked if he would go home but he was resistant to doing so he was arrested at around midnight last night."
Boshaala, whose address was given as Brideoak Street in Cheetham Hill, initially said "I don't know" when asked how he was pleading to a charge of contravening a restriction of movement during the emergency period (coronavirus).
However after the facts were read out in court he interjected and said he was changing his plea to guilty.
Patrick Harris, representing him in court said Boshaala was "agitated" and was "exhibiting some signs of a mental disorder" and he questioned his fitness to plead.
"He says he was visiting his tutor as he's attending a private school" Mr Harris said, adding he been unable to verify this claim.
District Judge John McGarva said it was a concern "he had done it before and had threatened to do it again."
However he said the regulations only allowed him to fine Boshaala and fined him £40 with a £34 victim surcharge.
However this was deferred with Judge McGarva saying the day's detention was sufficient punishment and that he had "dealt with it in a practical way."
As he left the dock Mr Harris told his client "I want you to go home, back to your mum and dad's as quickly as possible."
