WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT: Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, has been jailed over assaulting Pc Lydia Ward and Pc Ellie Cook for his actions during a brawl at Manchester Airport that saw him throw 10 punches
One of the brother’s involved in a horrific assault on two female officers at Manchester Aiprort has been jailed after footage showed him use 10 punches in the brawl.
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, was found guilty of attacking armed police officer PC Ellie Cook and an unarmed officer PC Lydia Ward on July 23, 2024.
The judge jailed Amaaz for three years and six months in court today. She showed no emotion as he learned his fate.
The three Greater Manchester Police officers entered the Terminal 2 car park paystation area after reports that a male fitting Amaaz’s description had headbutted a member of the public at a Starbucks cafe in the airport minutes earlier.
The Crown said Amaaz resisted their attempts to take him outside and Amaad then intervened as both allegedly used a “high level of violence”.
Amaaz said he feared for his life as he said Pc Marsden pushed his head towards the ground with a hand over his neck.
Widely shared mobile phone footage of the incident sparked protests as it showed a young Asian male kicked in the face on the floor by a male police officer who then appeared to stamp towards his head.
Days later, a CCTV clip leaked to the media revealed that beforehand a number of punches were thrown towards the male firearms officer and his two female colleagues.
Reading a statement during his sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday (June 26), Sgt Ward said: “I look at myself now and I can see the difference in my face compared to how it was before this happened. You did that to me. You changed my face. This is something that really upsets me. Again, I’ll ask you; did I deserve this? What was it that I did that was so wrong you felt you needed to attack me?
“For a long time, I felt like everyone was looking at me. I was conscious of all the bruising on my face. Did people recognise me from the footage or were they thinking my partner had beaten me up? It was a horrible place to be in and for what?
“For doing my job. I had to stay off work for a month, a job that I loved. I was supposed to go on a holiday with my sister and friend the week after it happened, but we had to cancel. It was something I had been looking forward to for ages. You took that away from me.
“Since returning to work I am on high alert. Will something like this happen again? I get worried when I walk anywhere on my own. The saddest part is my distrust in men which has been caused by your actions. I know I shouldn’t feel like this, but I physically can’t help it. I’m scared.
“I fear for the women in your life. If you can do that to a female police officer, what are you capable of to the women you know? I want you to know I am not weak. No matter how this has affected me or impacted on my life I will not allow you to see me as weak. You used me as a punch bag, but I will get back up and I will show you how strong I am. You deserve no more of my time.”
Pc Cook told the judge in her statement that she’s decided to ‘give up being a firearms officer’ following the incident at the airport, reports the MEN.
Her statement to the court read: “I don’t understand why you chose to do that. What did you get out of it apart from hurting us further? Do you even know? I’m so lucky to have the support of my family around me; my mum, dad and brother, but this has had such a detrimental effect on their lives, especially my mum. It pains me to see what she went through.
“She lost weight, she wasn’t sleeping, she was petrified someone would turn up at the address. She was a nervous wreck. I feel guilty that she felt that way, but it was you who did that to her, not me. You put us all in danger. It pains me to say this, but because of what you have done to me I have decided to give up being a firearms officer. I just can’t face it at the minute.
“This means my dream of becoming a close protection officer is on hold, and I may have to come to terms with the fact that it may not happen. I’m not sure I’ll ever be in the right space to return to firearms; despite the lengths I went to pass the training and the love I had for the role.
“You have ripped that from me. I hope the words I have read today stay with you for the rest of your life. I hope you have flashbacks of what I am saying the way I have flash backs of that day. I hope you never forget, because I know I won’t.”
Amaaz and his brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, both of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, were charged with assaulting Pc Zachary Marsden during the incident but juries at two trials failed to reach a verdict on the count.
Last month, a decision was made by the Crown Prosecution Service not to pursue a third trial.
The men claimed they acted in lawful self-defence, or defence of each other.
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