THREE men have been jailed after a man was left with stab wounds following a fight outside a Prestwich pub.

Violence erupted at the Woodthorpe Hotel on Bury Old Road on a sunny Sunday afternoon in May 2019 when fights broke out between several men in front of a number of families in the pub garden.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard how Prince Moyo, 21, and brothers Dylan Worthington, 22, and Jack Worthington, 19, were part of a group who turned up at the pub in a mini bus at around 5pm on May 12, but were refused service due to them smelling of cannabis.

The court was shown CCTV footage by Peter Cadwallader, prosecuting, of the pub’s landlady and her daughter arguing with the group who began “egging on” other drinkers who were trying to usher the men off the premises.

“Flashpoints began in various sectors with people going on the floor,” said Mr Cadwallader. “A knife was used and a man was stabbed but it had not been possible to say who was responsible.”

Dylan Worthington was identified as holding a machete as the violence spilled out into the road.

Mr Cadwallader said the stabbing victim was left requiring hospital treatment but was discharged within a few hours. A second man also suffered minor injuries after being assaulted.

The court heard that all three men, who later pleaded guilty to violent disorder, were arrested and released on bail before going on to commit more offences including drug dealing in the brothers’ case and assault, dangerous driving, drug offences, attempted robbery and robbery with Moyo.

The gang were later found to be running a class A drug dealing operation across North Manchester.

Defending Moyo, of Strawberry Road, Salford, Amanda Johnson, said, her client had found custody “a difficult experience”, while Laura Collier, defending, Dylan Worthington, of Heath Street, Manchester, said the defendant was a father of two who had been defending his younger brother during the violence.

Brendan O’Leary, defending Jack Worthington, also of Heath Street, Manchester, said the teenager was aged 17 at the time of the incident and was felt to be “immature”.

“He has the capacity to change and it is hoped this period in custody will be a wake up call for him,” said Mr O’Leary.

Sentencing the three men, alongside Vernard Murray, 22, of Chorley Road, Swinton and Tyrone Breeze, 28, of no fixed address,  Recorder Mark Rhind QC, said: “I’ve no doubt that some of you were out of control during this period.

“It seems that you felt you were untouchable, could do as you pleased without any repercussions and cared nothing for the consequences of your behaviour on anyone.

“You’re all now learning you were wrong.”

Mayo was handed a sentence of seven years imprisonment with Dylan and Jack Worthington receiving four years and nine months and three years and six months respectively.

The convictions are the latest as part of Operation Haemus - GMP's response to a dispute between crime groups in the north of Manchester.

A dedicated disruption hub was formed in November 2020 and the team has so far supported 36 arrests, over 25 warrants, in excess of 200 stop searches, the seizure of large amounts of class A and B drugs, and has since seen a steep drop in firearms incidents in the area.

Detective Inspector Louise Edwards, from GMP's CID City of Manchester division, said: "These men were all part of a known organised crime group in north Manchester that have been heavily involved in serious violence and drug supply in the last 18 months or so.

"Tackling drug crime remains a high priority for GMP and I am pleased with this verdict.

"I hope this sends a strong message to anyone involved with the supply of drugs into our local communities that this will not be tolerated and sooner or later you will be found out.

"Drugs completely destroy lives and blight our communities and so we are determined to do all we can to prevent this type of criminal activity and to make sure that offenders are brought to justice."