A 38-year-old man has been fined £750 after admitting being drunk and disorderly and resisting arrest.

Michael James Thomas Smith was Pava sprayed after saying he was going to ‘knock out’ police.

Prosecuting advocate Sara-Jayne Dodge told the court that police were on patrol on North Quay in Douglas on June 16, at 7.30pm, when a member of the public told them about an ongoing fracas outside the Copper Still at Banks Circus.

Officers went to the area and saw a group of people involved, one of whom was Smith.

He was described as unsteady on his feet, slurring his words, and smelling of alcohol.

Smith was said to be animated and agitated, and he told officers to ‘back off’ and not to touch him.

They told him to leave the area and go home, and he set off walking towards the railway station car park.

The officers followed him, but he then turned around and started swearing.

They warned him about his behaviour and again told him to go home, but Smith responded by saying: ‘F*** off.’

He was subsequently arrested but when police took hold of him, he struggled and pulled away, saying he would knock them out.

They restrained him using Pava spray and he was put on the ground and handcuffed, before being taken to police headquarters.

Defence advocate David Clegg asked the court to deal with the offences by way of a financial penalty.

Mr Clegg said that Smith’s recollection of the incident was ‘shaky at best’, and that he could vaguely remember a brief engagement with police and being told to go home.

The advocate said that the resisting arrest offence had been at the lower end of the scale for its type, and had only involved some ‘verbals’ with a bit of tensing up and pulling away.

Mr Clegg asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty pleas and said that Smith had not drunk for seven months prior to the incident.

Magistrates fined the defendant £300 for being drunk and disorderly and £450 for resisting arrest.

He must also pay £125 prosecution costs and will pay all amounts at a rate of £50 per week.