A TEENAGER was today jailed for two years and four months after his horrified parents saw his picture in media coverage of the Manchester city centre riots and marched him to a police station.

Michael Fitzpatrick, aged 18, of Greenleach Lane, Walkden, admitted taking part in the looting on August 9 after going into the city centre with friends.

He stole three shoes from Foot Asylum, a bottle of vodka from a Spar and was seen swigging from two bottles of stolen champagne in Piccadilly Gardens after someone else took them from Kro Bar.

He also admitted going into the upmarket hi-fi store Bang & Olufsen, run by Bolton man Ian Kinsella, but did not take anything because he could not find anything to steal, a court heard.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary at an earlier hearing.

Fitzpatrick’s furious parents handed him in to police after seeing his photograph in coverage of the rioting. They came to court with their son but refused to speak to reporters.

Manchester Crown Court heard that Fitzpatrick was aware that rioting was likely to take place when he went into the city centre on Tuesday, August 9.

He later told police that he supported the disorder because it gave a voice to the underclass. He also said that he did not think it was fair that he worked, but could not afford things that he wanted.

At one point he was going to leave the city centre but decided to stay after he was confronted by a police officer which, he said, “annoyed” him.

Judge Andrew Gilbart said: “One gets used as a crown court judge to sad cases. I don’t think I’ve deal with a sadder case in a long time.

“You come from a family of the utmost decency. They were horrified when they found out what happened, as I think were you.”

He added: “Rage against the machine is a popular concept for 18-year-olds. I will sentence for the criminality alone.”