A DRINK-driver who had pulled up on the hard shoulder of the M60 with a young child in the early hours has been jailed for nine months. 

Wayne Garcia became embroiled in a heated confrontation with two police officers trying to defuse the situation, a court heard.

And after the 35-year suddenly turned violent, the scuffle spilled over the central reservation and into the fast lane of the opposite carriageway, Minshull Street Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor John Kennerley said fortunately police had managed to cordon off the nearby fast lane, fearing the incident might turn ugly.

Garcia, of Randolph Street, Oldham, pleaded guilty to being drunk in charge of a child, driving with excess alcohol, two offences of assault, and having no driving and no car insurance.

Jailing him and also banning him from driving for 40 months, Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said: "These were very grave offences."

The judge told the court that the officers had clearly been concerned that Garcia was about to drive off with the young child in the car while under the influence of alcohol.

Judge Nicholls accepted that Garcia was now remorseful about the episode but said it was difficult to imagine a more serious offence of its kind.

Bodycam footage shown in court showed Garcia claiming to an officer that his stepfather had been driving that night. 

The defendant insisted the car had run out of petrol and his stepfather had walked off to obtain fuel. 

Garcia became increasingly agitated at the officers before lashing out, causing three to fall between barriers separating the two sides of the motorway, the court heard.

Mr Kennerley said one of the officers had suffered a cracked wisdom tooth and a suspected fractured cheekbone in the struggle with Garcia.

The court heard the defendant had five previous convictions for drink-driving and had previously served a jail term for robbery.

Tom Sherrington, defending, said his client had, except for one minor court appearance, had been sorting his life out and was now a hard-working man.

Garcia accepted he could have handled the situation "a lot better" and was willing to pay compensation to cover the injured officer's injuries.

Mr Sherrington said that thankfully the violence had only been brief and the adjoining carriageway had been made safe before matters escalated.