Police officer denies he ‘lost control' in aftermath of alleged airport assault

Independent

09-07-2025

A police officer has denied he 'lost control' in the aftermath of being allegedly assaulted by two brothers at Manchester Airport.
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, are said to have struck out after police were called to a reported assault at the Starbucks cafe in Terminal 2 arrivals on July 23 last year, when Amaaz is said to have headbutted a customer.
On Wednesday, jurors at Liverpool Crown Court were shown a photograph of injuries to the face of the defendants' mother, said to have been sustained as Pc Zachary Marsden attempted to arrest Amaaz at the T2 car park paystation area.
CCTV footage played to the jury showed Mrs Akhtar knelt near to her son on the floor after a Taser discharge felled him.
Cross-examining Pc Marsden, Imran Khan KC, defending Amaaz, said: 'Did you cause the injury as a result of your conduct on July 23?'
The Greater Manchester Police firearms officer said: 'I believe it is unclear whether or not it was my actions that caused those injuries. I believe I was not the only person who made contact with Mrs Akhtar.'
Mr Khan said: 'I am suggesting that it was you who caused that injury by hitting her with a Taser?'
Pc Marsden said: 'I firmly believe that you can't wholly attribute my actions to those injuries.'
The officer said he believed Amaad had struck his own mother during the disturbance.
Mr Khan said: 'Did you push the Taser you were holding into Mrs Akhtar at the time she was tending to Mr Amaaz?'
Pc Marsden said: 'I did, yes.'
Mr Khan said: 'Did you think that was justified?'
Pc Marsden said: 'In the circumstances, yes, I did.
'She grabbed my left leg. Using my left hand, I have taken hold of her grip to remove it. She clamped on to my left hand pulling me forward.
'I was being pulled over Mr Amaaz and at risk of falling on top of him and being vulnerable.'
Mr Khan said: 'I am going to suggest to you that was unnecessary. This was a hard push by your Taser on Mrs Akhtar's face?'
Pc Marsden said: 'I disagree.'
Mr Khan said: 'She was concerned for Mr Amaaz. She was not a threat. She was not interfering with anything you were doing and this was conduct, I suggest, where you have lost control.'
Pc Marsden said: 'I would deny that.'
Mobile phone footage was also played to the jury of Pc Marsden later using Pava incapacitant spray on a bystander who he said was effectively 'shielding' another man who officers wanted to detain for obstructing their duties.
Pc Marsden told the court he deployed the tactic because events were 'beyond verbal reasoning'.
The officer was then seen to grab the man around the neck and pull him to the floor, Mr Khan said.
Mr Khan said: 'How do you justify putting your hands around a man's neck?'
Pc Marsden said: 'Immediately prior, I had been subjected to the most violent assault of my life.
'I was now terrified that we are on the tipping point of another volatile situation. They were complicit in watching us being violently assaulted.
'I used pre-emptive force. I was in pain, exhausted and wanted to try the best I could to effect an arrest.'
Mr Khan said: 'Was he doing anything that required Pava spray in the face?'
Pc Marsden said: 'My fear was that he would be combative and we would end up with another hostile fight that I didn't want to happen.'
Cross-examining Pc Marsden, Chloe Gardner, defending Amaad, said: 'I suggest that you and your colleagues were the aggressors.'
Pc Marsden said: 'I can only account for my actions. I deny what you allege.'
He also denied her suggestions that he failed to exercise any self-control and did not act with integrity.
Pc Marsden 'strongly disagreed' with another suggestion that he had not been honest with the jury.
Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden and Pc Lydia Ward, causing them actual bodily harm.
He is also accused of the assault of Pc Ellie 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.