Two brothers used ‘high level of violence’ to assault police officers at Manchester Airport, court hears

Two brothers used a ‘high level of violence’ when they attacked three police officers at an airport terminal pay station in a fight which was captured on CCTV and went viral last year, a court has heard. 

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, are alleged to have struck out at police, leaving one officer with a broken nose, in Manchester Airport on July 23 last year.

The fracas started when armed officers went to arrest Amaaz for allegedly head butting another passenger in a Starbucks cafe inside the airport minutes earlier.

Opening the prosecution case at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, Paul Greaney KC said the officers traced the brothers to the terminal’s car park payment area.

Three officers, PC Zachary Marsden and PC Ellie Cook – both armed – and PC Lydia Ward, unarmed, approached the defendants, he said.

Mr Greaney went on: ‘The officers attempted to move Mohammed Fahir Amaaz away from a payment machine in order to arrest him, but he resisted, and his brother Muhammad Amaad intervened.

‘Both defendants assaulted PC Marsden.

‘In the moments that followed, the first defendant also assaulted PC Cook and then PC Ward too, breaking her nose. The defendants used a high level of violence.’

Muhammed Amaad (left) and Mohammed Fahir Amaaz (centre) at Liverpool Crown Court in February

The jury was played CCTV footage and body worn camera footage which showed the violent confrontation as stunned passengers looked on – many of them filming the events on mobile phones.

The film showed PC Marsden and PC Ward taking hold of Amaaz by the shoulder and the arm as he tried to pay for his parking at the machine as his brother and mother looked on.

The jury watched as the CCTV showed Amaaz reacting by lashing out at the officers and throwing punches at PC Ward, hitting her on the nose, and PC Cook before he was Tasered and forced to the floor.

PC Ward could be seen holding her bloodied nose and crying before being led away by PC Cook.

The footage also showed PC Marsden aim a kick to the head of Amaaz followed by a stamping motion as the brothers’ mother knelt beside her son on the floor. 

Mr Greaney said: ‘We recognise those actions look rather shocking in the cold light of day, but we suggest they need to be judged in the context of the very serious level of threat posed by the defendants to an officer who was concerned that his firearm might be taken from him at an airport.’

Mr Greaney also said the prosecution accepted that a fourth officer assisting in the aftermath, PC Mark Flanagan ‘used foul language’. 

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz (left) and Muhammed Amaad (centre) arrive at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on January 16 for their first hearing after the fracas at Manchester Airport Terminal 2

He was seen on body worn camera footage to shout at Muhammed Amaad: ‘If you move, I will smash your f***** face in.’

Mr Greaney told the jury they were being played the full footage because he anticipated that there would be criticism of the conduct of the officers from the defence during the trial.

He told the jury: ‘In the environment of this court room, it is difficult to get a sense of how seriously the officers perceived the threat posed by the two defendants to be.

‘However, from the footage from the body worn camera of one of the officers who attended in the aftermath, we get a real sense of how terrified the officers involved in this violence had been. We also see PC Ward’s injury.’

Mr Greaney said that the brothers claim that they were acting defensively and not offensive ‘is simply false and nothing can justify the violence toward the officers.’

The prosecutor gave the jury a detailed account of the events caught on CCTV and body worn cameras.

He said: ‘When the officers arrived Amaaz was at the payment machine. PC Marsden took hold of his left arm in order to move him away from the machine and carry out an arrest.

‘The other two officers took hold of his right arm. Amaaz resisted, so PC Marsden pushed his head down in an attempt to apply a wrist lock. 

At that Muhammed Amaad intervened, pushing in between PC Marsden and PC Cook and then forcefully pushing and grabbing PC Marsden, who responded to that assault by delivering a blow to the second defendant.

‘Amaad then grabbed the head or neck of PC Marsden and forcefully pushed him back and down. This enabled Mohammed Fahir Amaaz to pull his left arm away from PC Marsden’s grip.

‘Amaaz kicked PC Marsden as his brother continued to force the officer down onto the seat next to the pay station. Amaad then repeatedly punched PC Marsden, who was cornered and unable to move. He delivered blows to the officer’s head with both fists.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz (left) and Muhammed Amaad (centre) arrive at the court in February 

‘PC Marsden stood up and took out his Taser. At that, Amaad’s demeanour changed. He moved away from the officer and sat down on a seat beside the pay station with his hands on his head.

‘Amaaz having freed himself from from PC Marsden’s grip and kicking out at him, he began throwing punches towards the two female officers. 

‘He threw a left hook that struck PC Cook as she was attempting to prevent Amaad from assaulting PC Marsden.

‘This was followed by another punch to PC Cook’s head, knocking her hat off. He had his mobile phone in his hand as he delivered these blows. The blows moved PC Cook away from him.

‘He then turned his attention to PC Ward, punching her hard to the face with his left hand. 

‘She dropped to the floor immediately. In footage, blood can be seen streaming from her nose as she cries and is comforted by PC Cook and another officer. Amaaz had broken her nose.

‘Having felled PC Ward, he returned his attention to PC Cook. He threw a right hook towards the officer. 

‘PC Cook managed to duck that blow, but Amaaz continued to attack her, throwing another left hook, still with the mobile phone in his hand. That blow struck the officer’s head and caused her to fall over a baggage trolley.

‘Amaaz then turned and moved towards PC Marsden, attacking him from behind as PC Marsden pointed his Taser at Amaad. 

‘Amaaz lunged towards PC Marsden throwing a powerful left hook that connected with the left side of his head.

‘The attack knocked PC Marsden forward into the seats next to the pay station at which point , Amaaz grabbed the officer round the neck before throwing a flurry of punches to his head.

‘He then grabbed PC Marsden around the neck, dragging him backwards away from his brother. At this point PC Cook deployed her Taser causing him to fall to the ground.

‘He was still holding PC Marsden round the neck as he fell, dragging the officer to the floor with him. At that point PC Marsden was able to roll away from Amaaz and get to his feet.

‘Amaaz then raised and moved his head towards PC Marsden, who in response kicked Amaaz to the face and then brought his foot down towards the top of his head in what looks like a stamping motion.’

Mr Greaney said that the fight in the pay station area came after something had happened on their mother’s flight between her and another passenger, Abdulkareem Ismaeil.

She pointed out Mr Ismaeil to the brothers as they passed a Starbucks cafe and the two men went into to confront him.

The jury was shown CCTV footage of Amaaz head butting Mr Ismaeil and launching a number of blows toward him before being separated and walking away toward the pay station.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, denies one charge of assault by beating, two charges of assault causing actual bodily harm and one charge of assault by beating of a police officer acting as an emergency worker.

His elder brother Muhammed Amaad,26, is accused of one charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Amaaz is alleged to have headbutted Mr Ismaeil in the Starbucks coffee shop at Terminal Two and then assaulted police constables Marsden and Ward in the pay station area of the terminal.

He is then said to have assaulted police constable Ellie Cook when she was acting as an emergency worker.

Amaad is alleged to have taken part in the attack on PC Marsden.

The trial continues.