Brothers accused of assaulting police officer at Manchester Airport will not face third trial

Two brothers accused of attacking a police officer during a fight at Manchester Airport that went viral on social media will not appear at their third hearing after prosecutors failed to present evidence.

The verdict came after two separate juries at Liverpool Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on allegations that Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and Mohammed Amaad, 26, attacked and actually harmed Pc Zachary Marsden in July 2024.

Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, denied the charge and said they acted in self-defence or defense of the other.

Last week, the second jury was dismissed after nearly 20 hours of deliberation following a five-week trial.

On Friday, Judge Neil Flewitt KC ordered not guilty verdicts for the two defendants.

Amaaz emerged from prison via video link and as Amaad sat in court with his lawyers, prosecutor Paul Greaney KC outlined the Crown’s reasoning for not seeking a second retrial of the case.

He said the law is clear that there will be a “presumption and expectation” that a third trial cannot be held except in “exceptional circumstances”.

Mr Greaney said: “The Crown’s assessment is that, although the allegation in the indictment is serious and the case is of significant public interest, it cannot properly be described as an extremely serious case.”

He said the matter was being considered at the “highest level” of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Amaaz was arrested last year after being convicted at the first hearing for the attack on PC Lydia Ward and PC Ellie Cook during the same incident on July 23.

He will be sentenced on June 26.

Facing a single charge, Amaad was released from court.

Widely shared mobile phone footage of the incident sparked protests as it showed a young Asian man being kicked in the face by a male police officer, who then slammed his head on the ground.

A CCTV clip leaked to the media days later revealed that the male firearms officer and his two female colleagues were dealt multiple punches beforehand.

Three Greater Manchester Police officers entered the Terminal 2 car park pay station area following reports that a man matching Amaaz’s description had headbutted members of the public at a Starbucks café at the airport moments earlier.

The Crown said Amaaz resisted attempts to take him out and Amaad intervened, with the two allegedly using “high levels of violence”.

Amaaz said he feared for his life when he said PC Marsden put his hand on his neck and pushed his head towards the ground.

He later said he attacked his brother after seeing him “get hit in the face”.

Amaad told the jury he tried to “de-escalate the situation” and shot Pc Marsden when he felt Amaaz could not defend himself.

He later said he was “assaulted by being pushed and pulled from every direction.”

PC Ward’s nose was broken when he fell to the ground with a punch to the face from Amaaz, and he also knocked PC Cook to the ground with a series of elbows and punches.

At the second hearing, Amaaz claimed that he acted lawfully and said that he was not aware that PC Ward and PC Cook were women, and that “it was happening so fast that I couldn’t process the small details.”

The court heard Amaaz was kicked in the face by Pc Marsden after he was knocked to the ground by PC Cook’s stun gun.

Amaaz denied trying to stand up at the time and said a stamp then “pushed me towards the ground”.

Pc Marsden said he stamped his foot on the ground to jam the police radio wire to prevent it being used as a weapon against him and he did not believe he had made contact with Amaaz.

In December 2024, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that no police officers would face charges over the incident, leading GMP to lift Pc Marsden’s suspension from all duties.

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into the actions of Pc Marsden and other GMP officers is ongoing.

Amaaz was also convicted in a previous case of assaulting public member Abdulkareem Ismaeil at Starbucks.

The court heard that both defendants had an older brother and five cousins ​​who served with Greater Manchester Police.

Speaking outside the court, the brothers’ lawyer Aamer Anwar said: “Armed officers are supposed to be highly trained professionals capable of life-and-death combat, but provocation or loss of control should not constitute a defense in law.

“At the outset of this case we notified the IOPC about the conduct of several officers, including Pc Marsden, and asked for them to be referred to the CPS for criminal prosecution.

“Carrying a gun or stun gun does not give them permission to kill or use extreme violence or the right to escape accountability, regardless of the defendant’s circumstances, background, color or religion.

“Both Fahir Amaaz and Muhammed Amaad, who have been detained for 10 months, were tried not twice, but through social media, and their lives were ruined.

“Two years are not over yet and the rule of law must also apply to officers who break the law or breach professional standards.

“They must face action from CPS and GMP.”

GMP chief constable Sir Stephen Watson said in a statement: “After a lengthy trial, the jury was unable to reach a verdict.

“While we are disappointed that the prosecution’s case was not fully affirmed, we respect the court’s findings and accept the results of the jury’s thoughtful deliberations.

“This incident started with a man headbutting himself in front of his family in a public place.

“Our officers were quick to respond to this type of outrageous criminal behavior which rightly disturbs the public.

“While carrying out their duties, officers encountered resistance and violence, followed by online smears, condemnations and negative comments from those who did not have the full facts.

“It is vital that police officers receive the respect and support they deserve as they constantly put themselves in harm’s way to protect the public.

“Although the criminal case has now concluded, we are aware of the ongoing IOPC investigation into the conduct of our officers.

“We will continue to cooperate fully with this investigation and look forward to its conclusion in due course.”

He added that he was “particularly grateful to the many members of the public” who contacted the force to offer their best wishes to the affected officers.

An IOPC spokesman said: “Our independent investigation into the use of force by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers during a series of arrests at Manchester Airport in July 2024 is at an advanced stage.

“New evidence collected as part of a separate investigation came to our attention in October 2025 and as a result we now have additional areas of investigation to explore before finalizing our decisions.

“IOPC researchers are now studying various research materials before any decisions are made on next steps.

“We will continue to keep relevant parties informed as we work to finalize matters as quickly as possible.”