Week two summary : Trial continues in Manchester airport assault case
The trial of two brothers accused of violent assaults on Police Officers at Manchester Airport has now concluded its second week at Liverpool Crown Court. Jurors have now heard detailed police testimony and viewed extensive CCTV and body-worn camera footage said to capture the two separate...
The trial of two brothers accused of violent assaults on Police Officers at Manchester Airport has now concluded its second week at Liverpool Crown Court. Jurors have now heard detailed police testimony and viewed extensive CCTV and body-worn camera footage said to capture the two separate incidents in full.
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, both deny all charges. The prosecution alleges Mr Amaaz attacked a man inside Terminal 2 before both defendants became involved in a struggle with police in the car park, during which three officers were allegedly assaulted.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC told the jury the incident inside terminal 2 began when the brothers arrived at the airport on the evening of 23 July 2024 to collect their mother, who had flown in from Qatar. The prosecution says that as they passed a Starbucks in Terminal 2, their mother pointed out a passenger, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, who had allegedly upset her on the flight.
It is alleged Mr Amaaz then entered the café and headbutted Mr Ismaeil, followed by a series of punches. CCTV footage of the incident was shown in court. Starbucks staff described the man in blue tracksuit—identified as Mr Amaaz—as “angry and aggressive”, and said the complainant stumbled after being struck.
Defence lawyers pointed out that the witnesses initially described the incident as “a fight”, not an unprovoked assault, and noted that English was the only language spoken during the exchange—despite assumptions that another language was being used.
The court heard that armed officers PC Zachary Marsden and PC Ellie Cook, along with unarmed PC Lydia Ward, were dispatched to locate the suspects. PC Ward testified that she received a radio update confirming CCTV showed a man matching Mr Amaaz’s description leaving the terminal.
Jurors heard that the officers spotted the brothers and their mother at the car park pay station. PC Ward said she and her colleagues were all experienced officers and made a joint decision to approach and arrest Mr Amaaz. The officer described the situation as “dynamic” and said no formal briefing took place.
Upon entering the pay station, PC Ward noticed a crowd of people nearby. She said Mr Amaaz appeared to be alone but it was unclear who was associated with whom. Asked about her risk assessment, she told the jury she believed there was a greater risk to the public and her colleagues at that stage.
PC Ward said she did not recall any officer issuing a warning or caution to Mr Amaaz before in her own words:
She described trying to keep hold of Mr Amaaz’s arm to apply handcuffs while PC Marsden was allegedly being pushed down. Mr Amaaz then began kicking PC Marsden, she said,
PC Ward said she was knocked to the ground and lost consciousness briefly. “I’ve never been punched in my life,” she said. “I hit the floor and everything went black. I remember thinking: ‘he’s knocked me out’.”
“Nobody came to help. People were filming on their phones.”
The officer said she had drawn her pepper spray after seeing PC Marsden hold his Taser above Mr Amaaz, preparing to use it if needed. When two men approached and failed to comply with police instructions to stay back, she deployed the spray.
During the confrontation, she pressed the red emergency button on her radio, but her call for help failed—she later realised the battery had been knocked out during the struggle.
PC Ward required surgery to realign her broken nose on 9 August. Photos of her injuries were shown to jurors, and hospital records confirmed a nasal fracture and bruising to the forehead.
During cross-examination, PC Zachary Marsden—an authorised firearms officer—was asked about his use of force during the struggle. Body-worn camera footage showed him kicking Mr Amaaz in the head and appearing to stamp downward during the confrontation.
PC Marsden told the jury the kick was a deliberate action intended to “stun” Mr Amaaz, whom he believed posed an active threat. He said the situation was made more dangerous by the fact that he was armed with a loaded Glock 17 pistol, with a round chambered and “ready to use.” He told the court that as Mr Amaad pressed against him during the struggle, he felt the firearm move against his body and feared someone was attempting to reach for it. He said he could not know how many people might be attacking him in that moment.
PC Marsden also explained that what appeared on camera to be a stamp aimed at Amaaz was, in fact, an effort to keep hold of his radio by stepping on the wire, to draw it away from the suspect and toward himself. He later used that radio to summon emergency backup.
Under cross-examination by Rosemary Fernandes, representing Mr Amaaz, PC Ward was asked about the lack of formal planning before the arrest attempt.
“We are all experienced police officers and deal with what’s in front of us,” she said. “It wasn’t a situation where we thought we could have a discussion.”
Ms Fernandes put it to PC Ward that her colleague, PC Marsden, had used unlawful force and that Mr Amaaz was defending his brother. “I don’t think PC Marsden did use unlawful force,” she replied. “I just feel like [Mr Amaaz] was attacking us.”
Asked whether the incident would have escalated if PC Marsden had been “more courteous,” she said: “It might not have done—but we don’t know, do we?”
She denied that her colleague had acted “like a bull in a china shop.”
Chloe Gardner, representing Mr Amaad, asked the officer whether she had observed when her client was alleged to have interfered. She said she had been focused on Mr Amaaz and could not say when Mr Amaad became involved.
The court was then shown body-worn video of PC Ward sobbing on the floor, with blood in her mouth and on her face, as colleagues tried to comfort her.
PC Marsden reportedly suffered concussion symptoms and said he feared for his firearm during the struggle. PC Cook received minor injuries to her jaw and forehead.
The prosecution maintains that both defendants used unlawful force and were not acting in self-defence. The defence argues the police response was flawed and that their clieynts reacted in fear or confusion.
The trial continues on Monday 14 July. For a more detailed account of events so far, we have a fully detailed live feed where you can read all happenings so far and get live updates as they occur.
But until our next update or article on this case, please stay tuned, stay informed, but most of all stay safe, and I’ll see you then.
Birmingham Solicitor Akhmed Yakoob Arrested on Racial Abuse Suspicion
