MANCHESTER AIRPORT ASSAULT CONVICT JAILED FOR THREE YEARS

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz was sentenced to three and a half years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court after being convicted of assaulting two police officers during an incident at Manchester Airport on 23 July 2024. Amaaz, 21, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, punched PC Lydia Ward in the face with sufficient force to break her nose and also assaulted PC Ellie Cook. During sentencing, PC Ward, now promoted to sergeant, addressed Amaaz directly in a statement read to the court, describing his actions as cowardly and expressing her anger at his conduct.

Mobile phone footage of the incident circulated widely on social media, showing a young Asian male being kicked in the face by a male police officer. However, CCTV footage released days later revealed that several punches had been thrown at police officers prior to this moment. Amaaz's brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, also from Rochdale, was charged with assaulting PC Zachary Marsden during the altercation. Juries at two separate trials failed to reach verdicts on this count, and the Crown Prosecution Service subsequently decided not to pursue a third trial.

PC Ward stated in court that Amaaz had "played the victim" following the incident, allowing the public to feel sympathy for him whilst showing no remorse for her injuries. She noted that she had been forced to bring her newborn child with her when giving evidence, describing the courthouse as an unsuitable environment for an infant. PC Ward emphasised that she, not Amaaz, was the injured party, and that both she and her colleagues had been performing their duties lawfully at the time.