A 61-year-old man ended up at the crown court after he decided to film police on his phone when he came out of a pub.
Officers had been responding to a report of a person possibly with a machete, and spoke with youths in Newark.
Unrelated to all this was Anthony Hyland, of College Close, Newark, who left the pub and started recording what was happening outside.
Nottingham Crown Court heard he kept approaching police and distracting them in the course of their duty and was told to go away.
He was pushed by an officer twice to distance him from what was going on with their inquiries.
After the incident, Hyland pleaded guilty to obstructing an officer in the execution of his duty on February 17.
Laura Pitman, mitigating, told Judge Steven Coupland: "He made full admissions in police interview. As he said there, he apologised a number of times to them for getting involved. He'd been drinking. He decided to use his mobile phone to film what was happening outside. I ask for a conditional discharge.
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"He is in receipt of benefits and lives in a housing association flat. He has £4-a-week after he has paid bills and bought his food".
Judge Coupland agreed to impose a conditional discharge for 12 months, telling Hyland in the dock: "You made their job more difficult and put them in danger of something kicking off".
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