Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, is due to be sentenced today after being found guilty of assaulting two police officers and a member of the public during a violent incident at Manchester Airport on July 23, 2024. The attack, which was captured on CCTV, involved Amaaz throwing 10 punches, two elbow strikes, and one kick.
Details of the Incident
The confrontation began when Amaaz and his older brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, picked up their mother from a flight. Amaaz headbutted a man named Abdulkareem Ismaeil after confronting him at a Starbucks in the terminal. Police were called and found the brothers at a Terminal 2 car park pay station, where the assault on officers occurred.
Charges and Verdicts
At the first trial, Amaaz was found guilty of three offences: assaulting Mr Ismaeil by beating; assaulting PC Lydia Ward, occasioning actual bodily harm; and assaulting an emergency worker, PC Ellie Cook, by beating. Both Amaaz and his brother were cleared of a separate charge of assaulting PC Zachary Marsden after two juries failed to reach verdicts and prosecutors ruled out a third trial.
Footage of Amaaz being kicked in the head before apparently being stamped on by an armed officer went viral, sparking protests. The Manchester Evening News later published further CCTV showing police officers coming under attack moments before.
Sentencing
Judge Neil Flewitt KC is due to pass sentence from 2pm. Amaaz has been remanded in custody since the first trial in July 2024. Reporter John Scheerhout is providing live updates from the court.
