🔴 Manchester Airport Assaut Retrial: Week Two Summary

The retrial of two brothers accused of a high-intensity assault on an armed police officer at Manchester Airport Manchester Airport reached a significant milestone this week as the complainant concluded three days of intensive testimony at Liverpool Crown Court Liverpool Crown Court.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz and Muhammad Amaad, both of Rochdale, appeared before HHJ Neil Flewitt KC facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and violent disorder following a confrontation in the Terminal 2 car park on 23 July 2024.

The week’s proceedings were dominated by the evidence of PC Zachary Marsden, who recounted the minutes surrounding the incident for the first time from the perspective of the complaint and alleged victim of the attack.

Commencing his evidence on Monday, 20 April, the officer described the initial police response as routine work before the situation escalated into what the prosecution has termed a fracas with armed police.

Read more: Manchester Airport Attack: 3 Guilty Verdicts, 2 Charges Unresolved

PC Marsden emphasized to the jury the catastrophic risk posed to public safety should a suspect gain control of a loaded Glock 17 sidearm during a physical struggle.

The officer maintained that his use of force, including a kick and a stamp captured on mobile phone footage, occurred only after he had been subjected to violence by the defendants.

Under cross-examination from Imran Khan KC, the officer rejected assertions that he had been out of control or had lost his professional composure at the car park pay station.

Throughout the mid-week sessions, the court examined CCTV footage from a Starbucks café where a prior headbutt was described by the Crown as premeditated violence that triggered the subsequent police deployment.

Read more: Manchester Airport Attack Retrial: Week One Recap

On Thursday, 23 April, the jury heard a detailed dissection of the officer’s formal witness statements, which the defence suggested had been subject to collusion with other colleagues.

PC Marsden rejected these allegations, explaining that a fellow officer’s statement was uploaded to the police system from his computer for administrative purposes before his final report was pasted.

The officer also addressed body-worn video footage which captured him stating he was not bothered shortly after the incident, clarifying that he actually felt shocked and disappointed.

He told the court his primary concern at that moment was the wellbeing of a colleague, PC Lydia Ward, who was in tears following the alleged assault at the ticket machines.

Read more: Airport attacker’s bail hearing postponed

PC Lydia Ward was called to the witness box on Thursday afternoon to provide her account of the tactical approach to the car park.

She testified that she considered the scene at the pay station to be a potentially dangerous situation due to the presence of a crowd and the reports of prior violence.

The officer confirmed she was wearing a standard GMP uniform with large tactical lettering and was easily recognisable to the public as a police officer throughout the encounter.

The jury was dismissed for the weekend on Friday afternoon, with the trial scheduled to resume on Monday morning for further witness evidence.

No court session was held on the afternoon of Friday, 24 April, as legal teams finalised evidence for the next stage of the scheduled five-week proceedings.

The brothers continue to maintain that their actions were a lawful reaction to threats and were taken in the defence of themselves and each other.