A drug dealer threw £1,200 worth of cocaine into a nearby garden as a police dog chased him down, a court heard.
Tanzeel Mahmood, 29, has been jailed for three years and three months after the incident in Gorton .
Driving a black Audi, Mahmood, from Levenshulme , pulled out in front of a police car which was being driven by an officer with police dog Theo also in the vehicle.
The officer became suspicious of the Audi, believing the rear number plate may not be 'authentic', prosecutor Ciaran Rankin told a Manchester Crown Court sentencing hearing.
The Audi then sped off, and the officer began the short pursuit which started on Chapman Street.
Mahmood then turned onto Peacock Close, which is about half-a-mile away and a dead end.
As he got out of the car and tried to run away, German Shepherd Theo gave chase.
Just before he was caught by the dog, on August 8, 2017, Mahmood threw a bag into a nearby garden.
It was later found to contain more than eight grams of high purity cocaine, said to have a resale value of about £1,200.
Also found were scales, a cutting agent and a knife.
Mahmood declined to answer questions while being interviewed by the police.
He has a number of previous convictions for drug offences, including being sentenced to four years in young offenders' institution in 2009 after admitting possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.
He also received 12 months jail in 2015, after being convicted of possession of cannabis with intent to supply.
Defending, Daniel Harman said since the incident nearly two years ago, Mahmood has been able to 'make changes' to his lifestyle.
He recently became a father and has settled down with his partner, the court heard.
The judge accepted that Mahmood had made 'genuine attempts to address offending behaviour', and had taken steps to tackle his own drug habit.
He also found work and has 'impressed' his employer, the court heard.
But Judge Patrick Field QC said the case was so serious that prison was the only sentencing option.
The judge told Mahmood: "After a brief pursuit by the police and a police dog, you were arrested and found to be in possession of more than eight grams of high purity cocaine.
"These offences must be set against a background of previous drug trafficking offences committed by you.
"You must know that dealing in class A drugs wreaks havoc in our communities. Not only does it do harm to those who take the drugs, but the collateral damage is enormous.
"Drug trafficking is associated with serious criminality and violence. This is why the courts take it so seriously.
"The panic that you suffered immediately before your arrest, which caused you to run away, was no doubt in part panic at the realisation that you would be facing a substantial sentence.
"As a father you now have high responsibilities.
"Things haven't started very well, but whether you can live up to all of that and discharge those responsibilities, only time will tell."
Follow reporter Andrew Bardsley on social media
To follow Andrew on Twitter, click here.
Or to like his Facebook page and keep up to date with the latest breaking news and stories from court, click here.
Here's the link to the M.E.N's main Facebook page where we share our latest stories.
Mahmood, of Delamere Road, Levenshulme, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to supply cocaine.
It's not the first time Theo has been responsible for helping to catch crooks.
He made headlines after helping to track down four armed robbers to their ‘safe house’.
The gang, who had a knife and claw hammer, were jailed for 33 years at Manchester Crown Court in 2017 for threatening staff at a bar in Chorlton before taking £7,000.
The judge said Theo and his handler were a credit to GMP.
