Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison on Friday (June 26) after a jury found him guilty of headbutting a man inside Terminal 2 of Manchester Airport and assaulting two female police officers who attempted to arrest him in the car park pay station. The incident, which occurred on July 23, 2024, sparked widespread protests after mobile phone footage showed PC Zachary Marsden kicking Amaaz in the face after he had been felled by a Taser stun gun and then appearing to stamp on his head.
Jury Deadlock and Acquittals
Two separate juries were unable to reach verdicts on allegations that Amaaz and his brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, assaulted armed officer PC Zachary Marsden. The Crown Prosecution Service decided against seeking a third trial, leading to formal not guilty verdicts being entered by the judge. Muhammad Amaad was officially cleared of the single charge he faced. The jurors were simply not convinced by the arguments or evidence presented by either the prosecution or the defence.
Inside Liverpool Crown Court, the focus often shifted to PC Marsden, who spent seven days in the witness box across the two trials. He was grilled by defence lawyers and accused of thuggery and lying, allegations he denied. In contrast, the brothers collectively spent four days on the stand.
Social Media and Political Reaction
Social media was rife with commentary before, during, and after the trials, particularly from right-wing figures. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the defendants as 'those violent thugs' during a press conference while Amaad was giving evidence in the first trial, as part of his campaign against what he terms 'two-tier policing'. These comments were referred to the Attorney General to consider whether they constituted contempt of court, but no action was taken.
Prosecutors argued that the key question was not whether the brothers hit the police officers, but whether the blows were delivered in self-defence and were reasonable. CCTV and mobile phone footage showed both brothers throwing punches. However, the juries could not decide whether the assaults were unlawful or justified as self-defence.
PC Marsden's Actions Under Scrutiny
PC Marsden was filmed kicking Amaaz in the face after he was incapacitated by a Taser, then aiming a stamp at his head. Prosecutors attempted to dismiss these actions as irrelevant, occurring after the brothers' violence. But the defence argued that this was an example of unlawful police brutality. The moment is shocking to watch and impossible to defend when viewed in isolation, but the court heard it did not happen in isolation.
PC Marsden knows he will not face criminal charges for the kick, as the CPS decided long ago not to bring charges. However, he is fighting for his career and reputation as the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) continues to investigate and may bring disciplinary action.
During his testimony, PC Marsden described his kick as aimed with his right foot 'into the facial region'. When asked by prosecutor Paul Greaney KC, 'In other words you kicked him in the face,' the PC answered 'yes'. He was cross-examined for days and denied allegations that he was a liar, a thug motivated by anger, or unsuitable as a police marksman due to needing spectacles for short-sightedness.
The defence suggested that the kick, which occurred after blows had rained on him, indicated he was part of an 'out of control' team of airport police. Footage showed he had aimed the first blow, although it seemed to miss Muhammad Amaad.
PC Marsden's Defense of His Actions
PC Marsden told the juries that in the moment before the kick, he considered and ruled out several alternatives, including using pepper spray, his baton, or waiting to see if the prone Amaaz would 'attack again'. He decided against using his Glock sidearm as it could 'possibly be fatal' and he did not wish Mr Amaaz to 'come to such harm'. He also considered firing his Taser again but said that would require disconnecting the barbs already fired into Mr Amaad and reloading. 'These are seconds I did not have unfortunately. This incident was fast and quick and not at a quarter speed. I had to act fast,' he said.
The PC stated he decided to kick Mr Amaaz to 'disorient' and 'stun' him, as all other options were 'exhausted', including 'doing nothing'. When asked by defence counsel Mr Imran Khan KC, 'Are you telling the jury you thought of all those options within that second? When the safest option was to kick somebody in the head?' the officer answered 'Yes', denying it was a 'gratuitous' loss of self-control.
Throughout his seven days in the witness box, PC Marsden was watched closely by the juries, the judge, other lawyers, the press, the public, and observers from the IOPC, who are still considering whether he should be disciplined. The stakes remain high for PC Zachary Marsden.
