Two brothers will not face a third trial over an alleged assault on a police officer at Manchester Airport in July 2024, after prosecutors decided not to proceed due to a lack of evidence. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, were accused of assaulting PC Zachary Marsden, causing actual bodily harm.
Two separate juries at Liverpool Crown Court failed to reach verdicts, leading Judge Nicholas Flewitt to direct not guilty verdicts be recorded. The Crown Prosecution Service said a third trial would only be pursued in “exceptional circumstances”, which did not apply here despite the case’s public interest.
The incident, captured on mobile phone footage, showed PC Marsden kicking Amaaz while he was on the ground. The video sparked online criticism and allegations of racial discrimination and police brutality. Marsden, who was suspended but later reinstated, claimed he used reasonable force to prevent Amaaz grabbing his radio wire.
During the first trial, Amaaz was found guilty of assaulting two other officers, PC Lydia Ward and PC Ellie Cook, while Amaad was acquitted of all charges. The brothers maintained they acted in self-defence after a man allegedly abused their mother. Ward suffered a broken nose during the altercation.
Judge Flewitt referred comments by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to the Attorney General for potential contempt of court, after Farage said there was a “reluctance to prosecute those violent thugs in Manchester airport”. The Attorney General’s Office confirmed no proceedings were issued. The Independent Office for Police Conduct continues its investigation into the incident.
