Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, from Rochdale, was jailed for three years and six months at Liverpool Crown Court on June 26, 2026, for assaulting two police officers and a member of the public at Manchester Airport. The attack occurred on July 23, 2024, in Terminal 2 after officers were called to a Starbucks to arrest him.
Attack Details and Sentence
Judge Neil Flewitt KC described the attacks as 'unprovoked' and aggravated because they took place at an international airport in front of children. Amaaz punched PC Lydia Ward with a mobile phone in his fist, breaking her nose, and struck PC Ellie Cook twice in the face. He also headbutted Abdulkareem Ismaeil. The judge noted Amaaz's 'total lack of remorse' and said he had 'sought to blame others' despite clear CCTV evidence.
Victim Impact Statements
PC Lydia Ward, now a sergeant, told the court she was 'petrified' during the 'utterly terrifying' attack. She said: 'What you did was cowardly. You are a male and you chose to attack a female. You knocked me to the ground with one punch, with so much force you broke my nose.' She revealed she has a permanent scar on her nose and is 'forever reminded' of the attack every time she looks in the mirror. She added: 'What angers me is that afterwards, when only part of the footage was out in the public, you played the victim.'
PC Ellie Cook, who was an armed officer, said she was left 'broken' and signed off work with duty-related trauma. She lost weight because her jaw was so painful she could only eat mashed food. She stated: 'I don't think you will ever begin to understand what you have done to me, or my family. I used to be happy. I used to be driven. I used to be focused. I am now broken.' She decided to leave the firearms unit, shattering her dream of becoming a close protection officer.
Defence Arguments and Background
Amaaz's barrister, Imran Khan KC, repeated claims of self-defence and cited 17 character references, including from his brother who described him as a 'caring man'. He argued that the officers 'ought to expect trouble' and that there was no medical evidence of trauma. However, the judge rejected these arguments, noting the violence was unprovoked.
The incident sparked protests after mobile phone footage showed PC Zachary Marsden kicking Amaaz in the face. Further CCTV released by the Manchester Evening News showed the officers being attacked moments before. Amaaz and his brother Muhammad Amaad were acquitted of assaulting PC Marsden after two hung juries.
