Two brothers, Mohammed Fahir Amaaz (20) and Muhammad Amaad (26), have appeared in Liverpool Crown Court charged with assaulting police officers and a passenger at Manchester Airport. The incident followed a confrontation at a Starbucks café inside Terminal 2 on July 23 last year.
The court heard that Mohammed Fahir Amaaz head-butted and punched a man, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, who had just arrived on a flight from Qatar with his family. This attack occurred in front of several children, causing serious concern.
Police officers, who were already present in the airport, later found the brothers in the terminal car park payment area. Officers PCs Zachary Marsden, Ellie Cook (both armed), and Lydia Ward (unarmed) attempted to arrest Mohammed. He resisted arrest, and his brother Muhammad intervened. Both men then allegedly assaulted the officers, with PC Ward suffering a broken nose during the altercation.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC told the court that the brothers used a high level of violence during the arrest. Mohammed is accused of assaulting all three officers and the earlier attack on Abdulkareem Ismaeil, while Muhammad is charged with assaulting PC Marsden.
The brothers, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny all allegations. They claim their actions were in lawful self-defense or in defense of each other.
The prosecution presented CCTV footage from the Starbucks and body-worn camera recordings from police officers, which captured the events clearly. Jurors were told that the evidence should provide a clear understanding of what occurred.
The court case is ongoing.
