PC Mohammed Abid, whose brother was jailed for assaulting two police officers at Manchester Airport, has been dismissed from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) for gross misconduct. A disciplinary panel found he directed a racist comment towards a female colleague of African heritage, telling her her hair looked 'like a mop' before smiling and walking away.
Abid was one of six officers sacked without notice on Wednesday (September 2) after a two-week hearing concluded they were guilty of gross misconduct. Two other former officers who left GMP before the hearing would have been dismissed had they still been serving, the panel ruled. All eight were placed on the College of Policing's barred list, preventing them from ever returning to policing.
Character evidence for brother
Abid had previously given glowing character evidence for his brother Mohammed Fahir Amaaz during two trials that ended with Amaaz being jailed for three-and-a-half years earlier this year. Amaaz repeatedly punched PCs Lydia Ward and Ellie Cook after they were sent to arrest him for headbutting a man inside Terminal 2 on July 23, 2024.
Still a PC but suspended from duties at the time, Abid told the jury: "Fahir is the youngest of six siblings in our close-knit, family-oriented household. As the youngest, he has always been the baby of our family - loved and cared for by everyone. From a very young age, Fahir has been known for his respectful, gentle, and soft-spoken nature. He has consistently shown the utmost respect to our parents and older siblings, earning admiration and pride from all of us. He has always looked up to me as a role model and often comes to me for advice and guidance in various aspects of his life."
Bullying of PC Y
During the disciplinary hearing, it was found that Abid and colleagues on GMP's Bury division had made life a misery for a female officer, named only as 'PC Y'. Born in Africa but speaking fluent English, she was mocked and mimicked because of her accent. The panel found she was a 'clear victim of bullying', with her accent and even her laugh routinely mimicked or mocked.
Abid denied referring to PC Y's braided hair as looking 'like a mop', claiming his accuser was lying and that he was the victim of racism. The panel dismissed his denials, finding PC Y was telling the truth. Abid, a former criminology student at Manchester Metropolitan University, denied he would ever comment on the appearance of an older woman. "No, I wouldn't do that," he told the hearing. "I have got a wife, I have got sisters, I have got a mother. Since young I have been brought up to respect my elders, especially females. It would be massively frowned upon in my culture and not something I would do."
Giving evidence via video link, PC Y, a mother, said the mimicking made her feel "upset, uncomfortable, nervous, quite anxious". She said it occurred every day: "They would copy whatever I said then they would laugh about it."
Panel findings and dismissals
The panel's chair, Assistant Chief Officer Jonathan Roy, said there was a 'culture of mocking accents' within the police unit at Bury police station. He said the culture was 'so engrained' that 'new members of the team were infected with it within weeks of joining the team'.
Mr Roy said the allegation against PC Abid was based on his accuser's evidence alone, but the panel found it could rely on her evidence, partly due to findings relating to the other officers. He said: "In the circumstances, the panel found no reason not to disbelieve PC Y's account of the conversations with PC Abid. The panel therefore found as fact that PC Abid made the comment that PC Y's hair looked like a mop. The panel found that PC Abid's comment would have been potentially offensive to any person, but in relation to PC Y, it concerned a protected characteristic relating to her race. As such the panel considered PC Abid's comment to be a racist comment."
The panel found gross misconduct against PC Abid, PC Demi Green, PC Heena Rani, PC Lucy Granby, PC Matthew Barlow, PC Matthew Hill, former PC Jake Holt and former Officer A, who was granted anonymity. Former PC Holt, PC Barlow, PC Hill and PC Green were all involved in mimicking her accent, while former Officer A also 'joined in' but was 'less involved'. PC Granby and PC Rani thought their language was funny but later apologised, although they were alleged to have continued mimicking her accent.
A ninth officer, Sergeant Adrian Bick, was found guilty of simple misconduct, not gross misconduct, and kept his job as 'there was no breach of the standard of equality and diversity'. He received a final written warning for comparing a picture of a suspect to PC Y.
After the hearing, Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said: "No officer or member of staff should have to come to work and experience discriminatory behaviour from the people they serve alongside. Everyone has the right to feel respected, valued and part of the same team with a shared commitment to serving our communities and keeping people safe. I would like to acknowledge the courage of the officer who came forward and reported these concerns. It is important that people have the confidence to speak up, knowing they will be listened to and supported. Since this investigation began, our Bury district has worked closely with officers, staff and community representatives to listen to concerns, take action, and ensure we remain a police service that our diverse communities can identify with and be proud of. Those conversations and relationships are vital in helping us build trust and confidence."
In May, Amaaz and another brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, were formally acquitted of a charge that they attacked PC Zachary Marsden after two juries could not reach verdicts and prosecutors decided not to seek a third trial. PC Marsden was captured on footage kicking the face of Amaaz after he had been floored by a Taser stun gun.
