Manchester Airport brothers 'assaulted' police in 'fight which saw 12 blows in 30 seconds'

One of two brothers alleged to have assaulted an armed police officer at Manchester Airport rained down 12 blows in the space of 30 seconds, a court has heard. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, are accused of assaulting Pc Zachary Marsden, causing actual bodily harm during an incident at the airport, which went viral on social media.

On the opening day of the siblings' trial, jurors at Liverpool Crown Court heard how police were called to a confrontation at the pay station of a car park at Terminal 2. They were told the brothers used a "high level of violence" in a subsequent fracas with armed police officers, during which 12 blows were delivered to the three officers within half a minute.

Jurors heard that at a previous trial, Mr Amaaz was convicted of assaulting Abdulkareem Ismaeil in a branch of Starbucks and of assaulting two female police officers, Pc Lydia Ward and Pc Ellie Cook.

The current trial has seen the two defendants, both of Tarnside Close, Rochdale, plead not guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Pc Zachary Marsden.

He suffered "post-concussion syndrome" on top of difficulties talking as well as bruising and swelling after the alleged incident, Manchester Evening News reports.

Jurors were also told by the prosecution that in 30 seconds, Amaaz "delivered no fewer than 12 blows, a kick, elbow strikes and punches" to the three officers. They were told that Amaad had made repeated blows with his fists to Pc Marsden.

Paul Greaney KC, for the prosecution, said Mr Ismaeil had been on the same flight from Pakistan as the brothers’ mother.

He said at some point during the journey, or after the plane landed in Manchester, something happened between the mother and Mr Ismaeil which made her unhappy.

After the brothers met their mother at arrivals, they were making their way to a car park when she spotted Mr Ismaeil at a Starbucks and pointed him out to her sons.

The court heard the brothers confronted him and Amaaz headbutted him in the face, punched him and tried to deliver further blows in front of a number of children.

Mr Greaney told jurors that Amaaz was convicted of assaulting Mr Ismaeil by beating him at a trial last year. He said police were called and tracked the two defendants to the car park where Amaaz was paying for parking.

Ahead of showing the jury video of the incident, the barrister said: "The officers attempted to move him away from the payment machine in order to arrest him, but he resisted, and his older brother, Muhammed Amaad, intervened.

"Both defendants assaulted Pc Marsden. And in the moments that followed, the first defendant also assaulted Pc Cook and then Pc Ward too, breaking her nose before again assaulting Pc Marsden. As you will see, both defendants used a high level of violence."

Mr Greaney said at one point, Amaaz turned his head towards Pc Marsden, who kicked him in the face and brought his foot down on top of his head "in what looks like a stamping motion".

He added: "We acknowledge those actions of Pc Marsden look rather shocking in the cold light of day, but we suggest they need to be judged in the context of the very serious level of violence posed by the defendants to an officer who was concerned that his firearm might be taken from him at an international airport."

The barrister said at last year's trial, a jury convicted Amaaz of assaulting both Pc Ward and Pc Cook, just as they convicted him of assaulting Mr Ismaeil.

He said: "The issue for this trial and for your decision in due course is whether it is proved that the unlawful violence of Mohammed Fahir Amaaz also involved assaulting Pc Marsden so as to cause him actual bodily harm, and whether his brother Muhammad Amaad took part in that assault as well.

"The position of the prosecution is that it is not a complicated case. The events you are concerned with were captured by CCTV cameras and, in relation to the events in the payment area, on the body-worn video cameras of police officers as well.

"So you will not have to depend only on the recollections of witnesses. You will also be able to see with your own eyes what happened."

Mr Greaney told jurors the defence insists the brothers were defending themselves and each other lawfully. He said Amaaz also maintains jurors at the first trial were wrong in being sure he assaulted Pc Ward, Pc Cook and Mr Ismaeil.

The trial continues.