Two brothers used a ‘high level of violence’ as they attacked armed police officer in Manchester Airport brawl, court hears

At the hearing held on Monday, it was reported that two brothers attacked an armed police officer using a “high level of violence” during a fight at the airport.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and his older brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, rained ‘repeated blows’ on PC Zachary Marsden as he tried to arrest Amaaz in the car park pay area in Terminal Two at Manchester airport.

Amaaz also acted ‘cowardly’ by punching unarmed police officer PC Lydia Ward in the face, breaking her nose, and striking armed officer PC Ellie Cook with ‘a series of blows’.

The fight in July 2024 was caught on CCTV and the footage was shown to the jury yesterday by prosecutor Paul Greaney KC.

The CCTV scene showed how violence flared when officers tried to arrest Amaaz and the punch that broke PC Ward’s nose.

Jurors also saw Amaaz wrestled to the ground after PC Cook punched him and PC Marsden kicked Amaaz in the head while the defendant was on the ground.

Mr Greaney said that in response to being attacked, PC Marsden kicked Amaaz in the face and then brought his foot down on the top of his head in a ‘striking motion’.

He told the jury: ‘These actions appear quite shocking in the cold light of day, but we submit that they must be seen in the context of the very serious threat posed by the defendants to a police officer who was concerned that his firearm might be taken from him at an international airport.

‘In any event, these actions occurred following violence committed by the defendants. The prosecution’s view is that these are logically completely irrelevant to the lawfulness of Amaaz and Amaad’s conduct. ‘

The court heard yesterday that Amaaz was found guilty of assaulting two female police officers last year.

He was also found guilty of assaulting Qatari national Abdulkareem Ismaeil at a Starbucks cafe in the car park payment area just minutes before the incident.

The jury heard that the siblings had gone to the airport to meet their mother on a flight from Pakistan via Qatar and that ‘something had happened’ between the mother and Mr Ismaeil which made her unhappy.

When the mother pointed out Mr Ismaeil in the cafe, Amaaz confronted her, headbutted her in the face and dealt further blows.

The jury heard that the attacks on computers Cook and Ward, and the alleged attack on PC Marsden, took place after he tried to arrest Amaaz for the attack on Mr Ismaeil.

The jury heard Amaaz claimed at the first trial that he still believed the jury was wrong to convict him and that he acted in self-defence.

At the first trial the jury was unable to reach a verdict for either brother over the alleged assault on PC Marsden.

At the re-hearing yesterday, Amaaz also claimed he had acted in self-defence when he attacked PC Marsden.

Muhammad Amaad claims he acted in defense of his brother and both men, of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, have pleaded not guilty to assaulting PC Marsden causing him actual bodily harm.

Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC told the jury: ‘This is not a complicated case. The events were captured on security cameras and body-worn cameras of police officers.

Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, said the brothers used a ‘high level of violence’ during a brawl at Manchester Airport in July 2024.

‘You will be able to see with your own eyes what happened. It is obvious beyond all logical argument what is happening.

‘The defendants say their violence against PC Marsden was justified because they acted in self-defence or defense of each other.

‘In fact, Amaaz goes further and claims that he acted lawfully and that the jury was at fault in the first trial.

‘You must decide whether you are confident that they may have acted in self-defence when they repeatedly struck PC Marsden.

‘Our guess is that you will easily conclude that the defendants did not act in self-defence and that their conduct was unlawful.’

Mr Greaney told the jury the brothers walked from Starbucks to the pay station, just a two-minute journey away.

Three police officers went to the pay station in the car park to arrest Amaaz and ‘violence quickly broke out’, he said.

The jury heard that PC Marsden and PC Cook were armed with semi-automatic Glock 17 pistols and entered the pay station area at 8.28pm.

Mr Greaney said: ‘Over the next 30 seconds Amaaz inflicted at least 12 blows (kicks, elbow strikes and punches) on three officers, breaking PC Ward’s nose and causing injuries to two others.

‘Amaad repeatedly struck PC Marsden with his fists and, as you will see, used a high level of violence.’

Mr Greaney said Amaaz’s conviction at the first trial proved he had acted offensively and not defensively.

He added: ‘In a courtroom environment it is difficult to understand how seriously officers took the threat posed by the two defendants.

‘We really understand from the body-worn camera footage how scared the officers involved in this violence were.’

The trial continues.