Latest news with #MohammedFahirAmaaz
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
Moment distraught cop's nose is bloodied and broken during airport brawl
Footage shows the moment a female cop was left crying and bloodied after her nose was broken during a brawl at Manchester Airport. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, allegedly left PC Lydia Ward with a broken nose on July 23 last year. She was among three officers who had been scrambled to arrest the pair following an earlier fight at a Starbucks cafe within the airport. Body-worn footage was shown to a jury at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday of the female officer in the moments after the alleged brawl. PC Ward, whose face was covered in blood, was in tears and screaming in pain as colleagues tried to tend to her injuries. Officers could be heard consoling the distressed cop, who had broken her nose after being floored by a punch. She today described how she was 'absolutely terrified' after and had 'never experienced' such violence towards her. PC Ward, a former special constable with Lancashire Police who joined Greater Manchester Police in 2018, said: 'Never in my whole time in the police service had that level of violence been used on me before. It felt really hard. 'As I came round, all I could feel was blood pouring out of my nose. I was just thinking he has done something to my nose, face area, I didn't know what has happened.' She added: 'I was terrified to be honest. I was absolutely terrified. I had never experienced that level of violence towards me in my life. 'I didn't know who was going to come up at me next. I was scared of going after this male again and being punched in the face again.' PC Ward, who was unarmed, was with two armed colleagues when they approached Amaaz and Amaad at a ticket machine. It came after a report that a male fitting his description had allegedly headbutted a customer at Starbucks cafe in the airport's Terminal 2 arrivals hall. But Amaaz initially resisted arrest, before his brother intervened and a brawl broke out, the court has heard. PC Ward said the intention had been to arrest the suspect and remove him from the crowded area around the ticket machine. However, he began to 'tense up and resist' when she and colleagues PC Zachary Marsden and PC Ellie Cook took hold of him. The officer told the court: 'Things escalated very quickly. It just went from nought to a hundred. 'My attention was mainly on Amaaz. However, I was aware the larger male, Amaad, had come over and there was some sort of fracas between him and PC Marsden and PC Cook and they were trying to get him away so they could affect the arrest. 'I was trying to keep hold of Mr Amaaz's arm and get it behind his back so I could get some cuffs on him.' She described how PC Marsden 'fell or was pushed' before Amaaz kicked out at one of her colleagues. PC Ward added: 'The man in blue started booting him, kicking him really hard, and I was trying to pull him off. 'I tried to grab him off so he could stop kicking PC Marsden. All I remember then is that he turned and he punched me straight in the face. 'I can't really remember where it landed but I know where my injuries were. I remember falling on the floor and everything went black.' She described the punch as 'really forceful'. Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden and PC Ward, causing them actual bodily harm. He is also accused of the assault of PC Cook and the earlier Starbucks assault of Abdulkareem Ismaeil. Amaad is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden, causing actual bodily harm. Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Police officer says she was ‘absolutely terrified' during Manchester Airport brawl
A police officer has told a jury she was 'absolutely terrified' after she was floored with a punch to the face as she tried to arrest an assault suspect at Manchester Airport. Pc Lydia Ward said she had 'never experienced' such violence towards her in her police service as she suffered a broken nose in the incident at the Terminal 2 car park pay station area on July 23 last year. She and two colleagues from Greater Manchester Police had approached Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, at a ticket machine after a report that a male fitting his description had headbutted a customer at the Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals. Amaaz allegedly resisted, and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, is then said to have intervened as the prosecution says they inflicted a 'high level of violence' on the officers. Giving evidence on Thursday at Liverpool Crown Court, Pc Ward said the intention was to secure the suspect and take him outside, away from the crowded area. She said Amaaz started to 'tense up and resist' when she and Pc Zachary Marsden and Pc Ellie Cook took hold of him. 'Then things escalated very quickly. It just went from nought to a hundred,' she said. 'My attention was mainly on Mr Amaaz. However, I was aware the larger male, Mr Amaad, had come over, and there was some sort of fracas between him and Pc Marsden and Pc Cook, and they were trying to get him away so they could effect the arrest. 'I was trying to keep hold of Mr Amaaz's arm and get it behind his back so I could get some cuffs on him.' She said she recalled that Pc Marsden fell or was pushed towards some seats and that Mr Amaaz then kicked out at her colleague. Pc Ward said: 'The man in blue started booting him, kicking him really hard, and I was trying to pull him off. 'I tried to grab him off so he could stop kicking Pc Marsden. All I remember then is that he turned and he punched me straight in the face. 'I can't really remember where it landed, but I know where my injuries were. I remember falling on the floor and everything went black.' She told prosecutor Adam Birkby that the blow delivered was 'really forceful'. Pc Ward, a former special constable with Lancashire Police who joined GMP in 2018, said: 'Never in my whole time in the police service had that level of violence been used on me before. It felt really hard. 'As I came round, all I could feel was blood pouring out of my nose. I was just thinking he has done something to my nose, face area, I didn't know what had happened.' Mr Birkby said: 'How did you feel when you came round?' Pc Ward replied: 'I was terrified, to be honest. I was absolutely terrified. I had never experienced that level of violence towards me in my life. 'I didn't know who was going to come up at me next. I was scared of going after this male again and being punched in the face again.' She said at one point she pressed her police radio emergency button to call for further assistance, but the impact of the punch had knocked the battery out. She told Mr Birkby that other people in the pay station area were 'shouting stuff' and 'filming on their mobile phones'. She said: 'Nobody came to assist. I felt everyone in that room was against us. To be honest, I was terrified.' Pc Ward, who described herself as 'petite' and weighing eight stone, said she deployed her Pava incapacitant spray against two men who approached Mr Amaaz when he was on the floor after a Taser had been discharged on him. She said: 'They just kept coming forward, trying to impede. I was telling them to go back, and they were not listening.' Rosemary Fernandes, representing Amaaz, put it to Pc Ward that her client was 'taken by surprise' at the ticket machine and was 'shocked.' She said: 'It is important you identify yourselves as police officers, isn't it?' Pc Ward said: 'I don't think we had any time to do that. We didn't have any time for rational discussion with this male as it turned violently quickly.' Ms Fernandes said: 'I put it to you that the defendant believed he was being attacked from behind, and it all happened extremely fast. 'It is the defence's case that he punched you in lawful self-defence on the basis that you were an assailant. Do you have any comment on that?' Pc Ward said: 'I don't know how he felt, I was an assailant. 'He turned towards me and punched me in the face. He could see I was a police officer and he could see I was a female as well.' Footage from a body-worn video camera of a female police colleague was played to the jury, which showed a bloodied and crying Pc Ward being comforted in the aftermath of the incident. Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden and Pc Ward, causing them actual bodily harm. He is also accused of the assault of Pc Cook and the earlier Starbucks assault of Abdulkareem Ismaeil. Amaad is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm. Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations.
Times
3 days ago
- Times
Female PC punched in Manchester airport brawl was ‘terrified'
A police officer who was punched in the face as she tried to arrest a suspect at Manchester airport has said 'everything went black' as she fell to the floor. PC Lydia Ward was one of three officers sent to deal with an incident involving two brothers, Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, at the Terminal 2 building at the airport in July last year. Ward, PC Zachary Marsden and PC Ellie Cook approached Amaaz after a report that a male fitting his description had headbutted a customer at Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals. • Police officer denies 'unlawful force' at Manchester airport Liverpool crown court was told that Amaaz initially resisted arrest and Amaad then intervened. In evidence, Ward said: 'My attention was mainly on Mr Amaaz. However, I was aware the larger male, Mr Amaad, had come over and there was some sort of fracas between him and PC Marsden and PC Cook and they were trying to get him away so they could affect the arrest. I was trying to keep hold of Mr Amaaz's arm and get it behind his back so I could get some cuffs on him.' She said Marsden fell or was pushed towards some seats and Amaaz then kicked out at her colleague. 'The man in blue started booting him, kicking him really hard, and I was trying to pull him off. I tried to grab him off so he could stop kicking PC Marsden. All I remember then is that he turned and he punched me straight in the face. 'I can't really remember where it landed but I know where my injuries were. I remember falling on the floor and everything went black.' She told the court: 'As I came round, all I could feel was blood pouring out of my nose. I was just thinking he [had] done something to my nose, face area. I didn't know what [had] happened. I was terrified, to be honest. I was absolutely terrified. I had never experienced that level of violence towards me in my life.' Ward, who described herself as 'petite' and weighing eight stone, suffered a broken nose in the incident. Footage was played to the court showing Ward bloodied and in tears. She said: 'Nobody came to assist. I felt everyone in that room was against us.' • Brothers in Manchester airport brawl used 'high level of violence' The video showed Ward crying and being comforted in the aftermath of the incident. As other police officers tried to help, Ward could be heard saying: 'I think my face is f***** … He f***** up my nose. He f***** up my face.' Adam Birkby, for the prosecution, earlier told the court that Amaaz threw ten punches — including one that struck Ward in the face and knocked her to the floor. Amaad was said to have aimed six punches at Marsden. Amaaz is also accused of kicking Marsden and twice elbowing Cook. The court was told that he punched Marsden from behind, then had hold of him before Cook fired her Taser. Amaaz faces four assault charges, including against three police officers, and Amaad faces another charge against an officer. The pair, from Rochdale, have denied the allegations. The trial continues.
Sky News
3 days ago
- Sky News
Police officer left with broken nose after Manchester Airport brawl tells court she was 'absolutely terrified'
A police officer who had her nose broken after being punched to the floor at Manchester Airport has told a court she was "absolutely terrified". Jurors were shown footage of PC Lydia Ward with blood streaming from her nose following the incident. The court heard she was attacked by Mohammed Fahir Amaaz in July 2024 after officers tried to arrest him for allegedly headbutting a man in an airport Starbucks. Footage shows him resisting and a brawl breaking out between police, Amaaz, and his brother Muhammad Amaad. PC Ward said they intended to detain Amaaz and take him outside but he started to "tense up and resist" when colleagues took hold of him. 1:23 "Things escalated very quickly. It just went from nought to a hundred," she told Liverpool Crown Court. She said she had Amaaz's arm behind his back when he began kicking out at PC Marsden and then "punched me straight in the face". "I can't really remember where it landed but I know where my injuries were. I remember falling on the floor and everything went black," she said. The officer, who said she was "petite" and weighed eight stone, told the court it was the first time such violence had been used against her. "As I came round, all I could feel was blood pouring out of my nose," said PC Ward. "I was just thinking he has done something to my nose, face area, I didn't know what has happened." The officer - who joined the force in 2018 after being a special constable - said she was "absolutely terrified". "I didn't know who was going to come up at me next," she told the court. "I was scared of going after this male again and being punched in the face again." She said other people in the car park pay area were filming on their phones and "shouting stuff". "Nobody came to assist. I felt everyone in that room was against us," PC Ward added. Defence lawyer Rosemary Fernandes suggested 20-year-old Amaaz had been "taken by surprise" and believed he was being attacked when police approached him. She argued he punched PC Ward in "lawful self-defence on the basis that you were an assailant". "It is important you identify yourselves as police officers, isn't it?" she asked. "I don't think we had any time to do that," replied PC Ward. "We didn't have any time for rational discussion with this male as it turned violently quickly." She said it would have been obvious to the defendant that she was a female police officer. Amaaz is alleged to have caused actual bodily harm to PC Ward and PC Marsden. He is also accused of the assault of PC Cook and the earlier assault in Starbucks of Abdulkareem Ismaeil. His brother, Amaad, is also alleged to have caused actual bodily harm to PC Marsden.
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
PC punched in Manchester Airport brawl 'absolutely terrified'
A police officer has told a jury she was "absolutely terrified" after she was floored with a punch to the face as she tried to arrest an assault suspect at Manchester Manchester PC Lydia Ward suffered a broken nose in the incident at the Terminal 2 car park pay station area on 23 July last Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, are accused of assault. Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations. PC Ward told the trial she remembered "falling on the floor and everything went black" after a "really forceful" blow to her face. The court heard PC Ward and two colleagues had approached Mr Amaaz at a ticket machine after a report that a male fitting his description had headbutted a customer at Starbucks cafe in T2 jury has heard Mr Amaaz allegedly resisted, and his brother, Mr Amaad is then said to have intervened as the prosecution claimed they inflicted a "high level of violence" on the Ward said: "I was trying to keep hold of Mr Amaaz's arm and get it behind his back so I could get some cuffs on him."She said she recalled that PC Zachary Marsden fell or was pushed towards some seats and that Mr Amaaz then kicked out at her colleague. 'Nobody helped' PC Ward added: "I tried to grab him off so he could stop kicking PC Marsden. All I remember then is that he turned and he punched me straight in the face.""I can't really remember where it landed but I know where my injuries were. I remember falling on the floor and everything went black."She told prosecutor Adam Birkby that the blow delivered was "really forceful"."As I came round, all I could feel was blood pouring out of my nose. I was just thinking he has done something to my nose, face area, I didn't know what has happened.""I was terrified to be honest. I was absolutely terrified. I had never experienced that level of violence towards me in my life."I didn't know who was going to come up at me next. I was scared of going after this male again and being punched in the face again."She said at one point she pressed her police radio emergency button to call for further assistance but the impact of the punch had knocked the battery Ward told the court that other people in the pay station area were "shouting stuff" and "filming on their mobile phones".She said: "Nobody came to assist. I felt everyone in that room was against us. To be honest, I was terrified." 'Taken by surprise' Rosemary Fernandes, representing Mr Amaaz, put it to PC Ward that her client was "taken by surprise" at the ticket machine and was "shocked".She said: "It is important you identify yourselves as police officers, isn't it?"PC Ward said: "I don't think we had any time to do that. We didn't have any time for rational discussion with this male as it turned violently quickly."Ms Fernandes said: "I put it to you that the defendant believed he was being attacked from behind and it all happened extremely fast."It is the defence's case that he punched you in lawful self-defence on the basis that you were an assailant. Do you have any comment on that?"PC Ward said: "I don't know how he felt I was an assailant. He turned towards me and punched me in the face."He could see I was a police officer and he could see I was a female as well."Footage from a body-worn video camera was played to the jury which showed a bloodied and crying PC Ward being comforted by a colleague in the aftermath of the Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden and PC Ward, causing them actual bodily is also accused of the assault of PC Cook and the assault of Abdulkareem Ismaeil at Amaad is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden, causing actual bodily men deny the trial continues. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
