Latest news with #Amaad
Metro
6 days ago
- Metro
Officer in Manchester Airport brawl 'was an uncontrolled bully with a badge'
A police officer who allegedly kicked a suspect in the head, stomach and groin while he was on the ground is an 'uncontrolled bully with a badge', a court has heard. PC Zachary Marsden was involved in a violent clash with brothers Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, at Manchester Airport in July last year. Footage which appeared to show him stamping on Amaaz's head went viral after being shared on social media. The brothers, from Rochdale, are currently on trial for assaulting PC Marsden, but deny the charge and insist they were acting in self-defence and defence of each other. Amaaz also accused of attacking two female colleagues involved in the fracas and a member of the public in an earlier altercation. Police were called to the airport following a report of a man, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, being headbutted in the Starbucks cafe in the Terminal 2 arrivals lounge. The court heard PC Marsdsen, arriving with PC Ellie Cook and PC Lydia Ward, grabbed Amaaz from behind at a car park paystation in the lounge. Chloe Gardner, defending Amaad, told jurors on Friday: 'We see PC Marsden stride up to his brother's left side and grab first his arm and then his head and neck. 'Nothing is said by any of the officers. No announcement of any sort. No-one says they are police officers. That's crucial. 'Pc Marsden used unnecessary violence. His behaviour is indicative of how he behaves in general, certainly that day. Aggressive and uncontrolled.' Amaaz was previously accused of beginning to resist immediately, before his brother intervened and both alledgedly inflicted a 'high level of violence' on the officers. But Ms Gardner said Amaad attempted to de-escalate, referring to footage in which he's heard to say 'easy, easy, easy… no, no, no'. She said is words had 'zero effect on PC Marsden' who was 'pretty much covered in red mist'. Ms Gardner went on: 'We say that from the outset, Pc Marsden had no regard for procedure and acted how he wanted. His way was the only way. 'Mr Amaad told you his intention was solely to get Pc Marsden's hands off his brother. Mr Amaad was clear that at no point did he try to grab Pc Marsden's throat.' She said PC Marsden lied in statements about his interactions with Amaad, adding: 'We say it is critical when you consider Pc Marsden's credibility. 'He has come into this courtroom and he has lied to you.' Amaad did 'no more than was necessary' to defend his brother and then himself as he believed he was 'under attack', she continued.. Taser strikes were fired at both brothers, the court has heard, and their mother, Shameem Akhtar, was injured in the melee. The defendants say PC Marsden tasered Ms Akhtar in the face, while the officer claimed Amaad accidentally elbowed her. More Trending After the apparent head-stamping shown in the viral clip, Ms Gardner said, PC Marsden went on to kick Amaad in the stomach and the groin and 'smack him in the head' with his Taser. She said: 'Even when he has both brothers immobile and the mother has been hit in the face and is bleeding, he continues to assault Mr Amaad. 'He is an uncontrolled bully with a badge. He defied protocol, ethics, procedure and law.' The trial continues on Monday, when jurors are expected to be sent out of court to deliberate. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: McDonald's branch bans children from new adults-only area during weekdays MORE: Multiple bodies found in Cornwall woodland during police hunt for missing man MORE: Heroes chase down dirt bike rider who sped off after knocking pensioner down
ITV News
6 days ago
- ITV News
Policeman involved in Manchester Airport incident was ‘uncontrolled bully with a badge', jury told
A police officer involved in a fracas at Manchester Airport was an 'uncontrolled bully with a badge', a jury has been told. PC Zachary Marsden is claimed to have been "aggressive and uncontrolled" as he responded to a report a member of the public had been headbutted at a Starbucks cafe in Terminal 2 arrivals just minutes earlier on the evening of 23 July 2024. It is alleged Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, resisted as he was grabbed from behind at a car park ticket machine with his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, intervening as both inflicted a 'high level of violence' on the officers. In her closing speech at Liverpool Crown Court, Chloe Gardner, defending Amaad, said: 'We see PC Marsden stride up to his brother's left side and grab first his arm and then his head and neck. 'Nothing is said by any of the officers. No announcement of any sort. No-one says they are police officers. That's crucial. 'PC Marsden used unnecessary violence. His behaviour is indicative of how he behaves in general, certainly that day. Aggressive and uncontrolled.' She said Amaad was heard to say 'easy, easy, easy… no, no, no' in a bid to de-escalate the situation, but his words had 'zero effect on PC Marsden' who was 'pretty much covered in red mist'. Ms Gardner went on: 'We say that from the outset, PC Marsden had no regard for procedure and acted how he wanted. His way was the only way. 'Mr Amaad told you his intention was solely to get PC Marsden's hands off his brother. Mr Amaad was clear that at no point did he try to grab PC Marsden's throat.' She said PC Marsden had told lies in various statements about his interactions with Amaad at the pay station area. Ms Gardner said: 'We say it is critical when you consider PC Marsden's credibility. 'He has come into this courtroom and he has lied to you.' She said Amaad did 'no more than was necessary' to defend his brother and then himself as he believed he was 'under attack'. Taser strikes were later fired at both brothers, the court has heard, and their mother, Shameem Akhtar, was injured in the melee. The defendants say PC Marsden struck her in the face with his Taser, while the officer said he believed Amaad accidentally elbowed her. Mobile phone footage of the officer kicking the head of Amaaz and in a stamping motion was shared on social media and went viral last year. Ms Gardner said PC Marsden went on to kick Amaad in the stomach and to the groin and 'smack him in the head' with his Taser. She said: 'Even when he has both brothers immobile and the mother has been hit in the face and is bleeding, he continues to assault Mr Amaad. 'He is an uncontrolled bully with a badge. 'He defied protocol, ethics, procedure and law.' Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden and Pc Lydia Ward, causing them actual bodily harm. He is also accused of the assault of emergency worker PC Ellie Cook, and the earlier assault by beating of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals. Amaad is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden, causing actual bodily harm. Both defendants, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations and say they were lawfully acting in self-defence or in defence of each other.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Telegraph
Manchester Airport attacker's lawyer calls police officer a ‘bully with a badge'
The lawyer defending the Manchester Airport suspect has accused a police officer of being an 'uncontrolled bully with a badge', a jury has heard. Pc Zachary Marsden and two female colleagues responded to a report that a member of the public had been headbutted at a Starbucks cafe in Terminal 2 arrivals on the evening of July 23 last year. It is alleged Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, resisted arrest as he was grabbed from behind at a car park ticket machine. Muhammad Amaad, 26-year-old brother, then intervened as both inflicted a 'high level of violence' on the officers. In her closing speech at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, Chloe Gardner, defending Mr Amaad, said: 'We see Pc Marsden stride up to his brother's left side and grab first his arm and then his head and neck. 'Nothing is said by any of the officers. No announcement of any sort. No one says they are police officers. That's crucial. 'Pc Marsden used unnecessary violence. His behaviour is indicative of how he behaves in general, certainly that day. Aggressive and uncontrolled.' She said Mr Amaad was heard to say 'easy, easy, easy ... no, no, no' in a bid to de-escalate the situation, but his words had 'zero effect on Pc Marsden', who was 'pretty much covered in red mist'. Ms Gardner went on: 'We say that from the outset, Pc Marsden had no regard for procedure and acted how he wanted. His way was the only way. 'Mr Amaad told you his intention was solely to get Pc Marsden's hands off his brother. Mr Amaad was clear that at no point did he try to grab Pc Marsden's throat.' She said Pc Marsden had told lies in various statements about his interactions with Mr Amaad at the pay station area. Ms Gardner said: 'We say it is critical when you consider Pc Marsden's credibility. 'He has come into this courtroom and he has lied to you.' Pc Marsden 'uncontrolled' She said Mr Amaad did 'no more than was necessary' to defend his brother and then himself as he believed he was 'under attack'. Taser strikes were later fired at both brothers, the court has heard. Shameem Akhtar, their mother, was injured in the melee. The defendants say Pc Marsden struck Ms Akhtar in the face with his Taser, while the officer said he believed Mr Amaad accidentally elbowed her. Ms Gardner said Pc Marsden went on to kick Mr Amaad in the stomach and groin and 'smack him in the head' with his Taser. She said: 'Even when he has both brothers immobile and the mother has been hit in the face and is bleeding, he continues to assault Mr Amaad. 'He is an uncontrolled bully with a badge. He defied protocol, ethics, procedure and law.' Mr Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden and Pc Lydia Ward, causing them actual bodily harm. He is also accused of the assault of emergency worker Pc Ellie Cook, and the earlier assault by beating of Abdulkareem Ismaeil, a member of the public, at a Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals. Mr Amaad is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm. Both defendants, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations and say they were lawfully acting in self-defence or in defence of each other. The trial continues on Monday, when the jury is expected to be sent out to begin its deliberations.
Powys County Times
21-07-2025
- Powys County Times
I had to defend myself, man accused of police officer assault at airport says
The brother of a man accused of assaulting three police officers at Manchester Airport has told a jury he struck out himself after he was 'put in a situation where I had to defend myself'. Muhammad Amaad, 26, and Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, are alleged to have used a 'high level of violence' against Pc Zachary Marsden, Pc Lydia Ward and Pc Ellie Cook after they tried to arrest the younger brother. The Greater Manchester Police officers entered the Terminal 2 car park paystation after reports that a male fitting Amaaz's description had headbutted a member of the public inside the airport just minutes before on July 23 last year. Giving evidence on Monday at Liverpool Crown Court, Amaad said: 'They come in and grab Fahir straight away. They started pushing him forward into the ticket machine. 'I didn't understand the need for the aggression.' He told his barrister Chloe Gardner that nothing was said by any of the officers and that he tried to 'de-escalate the situation' by saying 'easy, easy … no, no, no'. Ms Gardner said: 'Were you trying to be provocative or make things worse?' Amaad said: 'No, I was trying to help, if anything.' Ms Gardner said: 'As far as you could see, did you see any reason why they grabbed hold of him?' 'No,' said Amaad. He said he then saw a male officer, Pc Marsden, grab his younger brother's neck. Amaad said: 'I didn't know where his other hand was. I thought both his hands might be around his neck and he was choking him. 'So, I stepped around and I just placed my hand under the officer's arm.' He denied he pushed Pc Marsden or tried to grab the officer's throat. Amaad said: 'Next, all I can remember is I got a bang in the face. My eyes sort of shut and I put my hands up and thought 'what was that?' 'Then I just remember 'bang, bang, bang'. It caught me by surprise, I was stunned. 'We just sort of fell over on to a chair and I am feeling punches, holding and grabbing, and I had to defend myself during that time.' Pc Marsden went on to fire his Taser at him, the court heard, and he later sat down with his hands on his head after he saw the officer's firearm. Amaad told the court: 'I just felt to myself 'I'm not dying today'. I have been punched, I have been tasered, I am not going to die today.' Ms Gardner said: 'Why did you strike Pc Marsden at the seated area?' Amaad said: 'Because it was at that point I was trying to make him stop and defend myself. I was put in a situation where I had to defend myself'. Earlier, a total of 20 character references for Amaaz were read out by his barrister Imran Khan KC including many citing the defendant's charity work in the local community. Among the testimonials were one from his elder brother, Mohammed Abid, 28, a serving officer with Greater Manchester Police since 2020. He said his youngest brother, 'the baby of the family', looked up to him as a role model and that Fahir had never previously had any interactions with the police or the criminal justice system. He said: 'He lives a clean, honest lifestyle. His dedication to his academic goals and personal development is something I deeply admire. 'Our family has strong moral values instilled in us by our parents at an early age. 'Mohammed Fahir Amaaz is a kind, respectful, upstanding young man with a bright future ahead.' Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden and Pc Ward, causing them actual bodily harm. He is also accused of the assault of emergency worker Pc Cook, and the earlier assault of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals. Amaad, a former assistant manager at KFC, is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm. Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations. Amaad disagreed with prosecutor Adam Birkby that Pc Marsden posed no threat as the officer fell backwards on to seating close to the ticket machine. Mr Birkby said: 'Do you accept you punched Pc Marsden six times?' Amaad said: 'I was not counting but if it was six then yes.' Mr Birkby said: 'You say those punches were lawful and the force used was reasonable?' 'Yes,' said Amaad. Mr Birkby said: 'You are simply pummelling him with six punches when he was in a position where he couldn't defend himself, do you agree?' Amaad said: 'I disagree.' Mr Birkby put it to Amaad that he realised the officers had come to arrest his brother when they initially surrounded him at the ticket machine. He said: 'You must have put two and two together that this was in relation to the violence your brother had used just five minutes earlier at Starbucks.' Amaad said: 'I didn't have time to think. I just saw them grab him.' Mr Birkby said: 'You knew your brother was resisting and yet rather than allowing the officers to get on with their jobs you physically intervened.' 'No,' said Amaad. Mr Birkby went on: 'Because you didn't want your brother to get arrested.' Amaad said: 'No, that's incorrect.'
Leader Live
21-07-2025
- Leader Live
I had to defend myself, man accused of police officer assault at airport says
Muhammad Amaad, 26, and Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, are alleged to have used a 'high level of violence' against Pc Zachary Marsden, Pc Lydia Ward and Pc Ellie Cook after they tried to arrest the younger brother. The Greater Manchester Police officers entered the Terminal 2 car park paystation after reports that a male fitting Amaaz's description had headbutted a member of the public inside the airport just minutes before on July 23 last year. Giving evidence on Monday at Liverpool Crown Court, Amaad said: 'They come in and grab Fahir straight away. They started pushing him forward into the ticket machine. 'I didn't understand the need for the aggression.' He told his barrister Chloe Gardner that nothing was said by any of the officers and that he tried to 'de-escalate the situation' by saying 'easy, easy … no, no, no'. Ms Gardner said: 'Were you trying to be provocative or make things worse?' Amaad said: 'No, I was trying to help, if anything.' Ms Gardner said: 'As far as you could see, did you see any reason why they grabbed hold of him?' 'No,' said Amaad. He said he then saw a male officer, Pc Marsden, grab his younger brother's neck. Amaad said: 'I didn't know where his other hand was. I thought both his hands might be around his neck and he was choking him. 'So, I stepped around and I just placed my hand under the officer's arm.' He denied he pushed Pc Marsden or tried to grab the officer's throat. Amaad said: 'Next, all I can remember is I got a bang in the face. My eyes sort of shut and I put my hands up and thought 'what was that?' 'Then I just remember 'bang, bang, bang'. It caught me by surprise, I was stunned. 'We just sort of fell over on to a chair and I am feeling punches, holding and grabbing, and I had to defend myself during that time.' Pc Marsden went on to fire his Taser at him, the court heard, and he later sat down with his hands on his head after he saw the officer's firearm. Amaad told the court: 'I just felt to myself 'I'm not dying today'. I have been punched, I have been tasered, I am not going to die today.' Ms Gardner said: 'Why did you strike Pc Marsden at the seated area?' Amaad said: 'Because it was at that point I was trying to make him stop and defend myself. I was put in a situation where I had to defend myself'. Earlier, a total of 20 character references for Amaaz were read out by his barrister Imran Khan KC including many citing the defendant's charity work in the local community. Among the testimonials were one from his elder brother, Mohammed Abid, 28, a serving officer with Greater Manchester Police since 2020. He said his youngest brother, 'the baby of the family', looked up to him as a role model and that Fahir had never previously had any interactions with the police or the criminal justice system. He said: 'He lives a clean, honest lifestyle. His dedication to his academic goals and personal development is something I deeply admire. 'Our family has strong moral values instilled in us by our parents at an early age. 'Mohammed Fahir Amaaz is a kind, respectful, upstanding young man with a bright future ahead.' Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden and Pc Ward, causing them actual bodily harm. He is also accused of the assault of emergency worker Pc Cook, and the earlier assault of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals. Amaad, a former assistant manager at KFC, is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm. Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations.
