Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, from Rochdale, is serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence at HMP Liverpool, a category B Victorian prison housing 800 men. The prison was described as 'dilapidated' in a 2025 inspectorate report, which noted inmates spend their time 'lying on their beds watching daytime TV and taking drugs to pass the time'. Gangs 'continuously' target the prison with drones carrying drugs and contraband.
Assault on police officers
Amaaz was jailed last week for repeatedly punching PCs Lydia Ward and Ellie Cook after they were sent to arrest him for headbutting a man inside Terminal 2 on July 23, 2024. The attack left PC Ward with a permanent scar, and she told the court she is 'forever reminded' of the 'utterly terrifying' attack when she looks in the mirror. PC Cook was signed off work and left GMP's firearms unit, losing weight because her jaw was so painful she could only eat mashed food.
Prison conditions and improvements
HMP Liverpool was slammed in 2018 as 'squalid' and violent, but the 2025 report noted some progress, though several shortcomings remain. A refurbishment stalled when the contracting firm went bust, leaving buildings 'old and dilapidated'. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'This government inherited a prison system in crisis - with drugs and violence rife. While we welcome inspectors’ recognition of HMP Liverpool’s progress to drive down violence, we acknowledge there is more to do.'
Model inmate on remand
Amaaz is viewed as a model inmate, having worked in the prison laundry and textiles department while on remand and served as a 'Muslim representative' during Ramadan. He has no previous convictions and is due to be released on licence halfway through his sentence. Having spent 11 months on remand, he is expected to be released in April next year.
Context of the incident
Mobile phone footage of another officer, PC Zachary Marsden, kicking Amaaz in the face after he was felled by a Taser and appearing to stamp on his head went viral. The incident prompted protests. The Manchester Evening News later published CCTV footage showing police officers under attack moments before the kick. Judge Neil Flewitt KC told Amaaz: 'I cannot help but wonder whether that was, in part, as a result of your decision to go public at an early stage with mobile phone footage of the aftermath without any reference to what had gone before.' He added: 'You sought to blame others for what was clearly your responsibility and to portray yourself as a victim. That does not bode well for your prospects of rehabilitation.'
Amaaz also assaulted a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, by headbutting him. Judge Flewitt said all attacks were 'unprovoked' and aggravated because they occurred at an international airport in front of children. Amaaz and his brother Muhammad Amaad were acquitted of attacking PC Marsden after two juries failed to reach verdicts.
