A man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for assaulting two female police officers and a member of the public during a brawl at a Starbucks in Manchester Airport. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, from Rochdale, was convicted of common assault and two counts of actual bodily harm following a four-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
The incident, which took place in July 2024, was captured on mobile phone footage that circulated widely on social media. The footage showed Amaaz head-butting a member of the public and launching a series of punches, elbow strikes and a kick at responding officers. The altercation left PC Lydia Ward with a broken nose and PC Ellie Cook with concussion and other injuries.
In victim impact statements, both officers described lasting trauma. Ward, who had recently given birth, said the attack ``came from nowhere'' and ruined her maternity leave. Cook said she was left ``broken'' and gave up her role as a firearms officer, putting her dream of becoming a close protection officer on hold. Both criticised Amaaz for portraying himself as the victim after partial footage emerged.
Amaaz's brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, also from Rochdale, was charged in connection with the same incident but faced no further trial after two juries failed to reach a verdict on charges relating to PC Zachary Marsden. The Crown Prosecution Service declined to seek a third trial.
