
Brothers in alleged Manchester Airport assault to face retrial next year
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, were alleged to have assaulted Pc Zachary Marsden causing actual bodily harm.
The jury at Liverpool Crown Court spent 10 hours deliberating but could not reach a verdict.
At a hearing on Thursday, Judge Neil Flewitt KC fixed a retrial for April 7 next year, with the case estimated to last three to four weeks.
The court was told professional commitments of defence counsel meant the trial could not be heard before then.
It comes after Amaaz was found guilty on Wednesday of assaulting a member of the public and two female police officers during an incident which later went viral on social media.
During his trial, the jury heard Amaaz floored Pc Lydia Ward with a punch to the face which broke her nose and also knocked Pc Ellie Cook to the ground.
A bail application for Amaaz, who was remanded in custody after the verdicts were returned, was adjourned until August 26.
Amaad, who was given unconditional bail, shook his brother's hand before leaving the dock.
Both officers and Pc Marsden approached Amaaz, 20, at a car park ticket machine after a report that a male fitting his description had headbutted a customer at Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals on July 23 last year.
Amaaz allegedly resisted and his brother was said to have intervened as the prosecution said they inflicted a 'high level of violence' on the Greater Manchester Police officers.
Both defendants, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, told the court they acted in lawful self-defence, or in defence of the other.
The jury found Amaaz guilty of the assault of Pc Ward causing actual bodily harm and the assault of emergency worker Pc Cook.
He was also convicted of the Starbucks assault of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil.
Mobile phone footage of a kick and stamp by Pc Marsden as Amaaz lay on the floor was shared on social media and went viral.
Giving evidence, Amaaz said he feared the 'lunatic' male officer would 'batter him to death' and Amaad said he believed he was under attack.
The defence said the officers used 'unlawful force' as they grabbed Amaaz from behind without announcing themselves.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
We're prepared if protests turn violent, police say ahead of string of anti-migrant demonstrations
Police chiefs have warned they are ready to 'mobilise significant and specialist resources' if unrest breaks out at a string of anti-migrant protests planned at hotels housing asylum seekers. The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) is working with forces across the country and monitoring intelligence in preparation for a fresh wave of protests on Friday, with demonstrations planned at up to 14 hotels across the country. It comes as the Metropolitan Police is also expected to come under pressure on Saturday when a National March for Palestine is planned in the capital. A separate pro-Palestine Action rally could result in mass arrests with 500 people expected to hold signs saying 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action' in defiance of anti-terror laws. Anti-migrant protesters are expected to return to The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on Friday, where violence erupted last month after an Ethiopian refugee was charged with sexual assault for allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Demonstrators are also set to return to the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, where a group wearing face masks and carrying smoke bombs made a 'concerted effort' to break in last weekend. Other anti-migrant demonstrations are planned at hotels in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Leeds and Norwich, among others, in what is being billed as UK-wide protests to 'abolish the asylum system'. Organisers have said the events will be 'locally led peaceful protests ' with no masks and no alcohol in posters shared widely on social media. Ahead of the widespread action, Chief Constable BJ Harrington, chair of the NPCC Operations Coordination Committee, said: 'We have robust and well-tested proactive plans in place, with the ability to mobilise significant and specialist resources, if necessary. "Public order response officers will be supported by investigation teams who will gather evidence and ensure those responsible for any acts of criminality, should they occur, are identified and held to account. 'Policing is not anti-protest, we are anti-crime and we will continue to work with local communities to ensure that they are safe and serious disruption is prevented.' The Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, has warned that another summer of unrest places forces and officers under strain. 'Public order duties often mean long shifts, cancelled leave, missed family time and real risk,' a spokesman added. 'That takes its toll. This isn't just about numbers; it's about resilience, wellbeing, and a system under strain.' It comes ahead of the possibility of yet more mass arrests in London on Saturday, after the Met vowed to continue its crackdown on those showing support for Palestine Action. Campaign group Defend Our Juries has said more than 500 people are ready to be arrested by holding placards supporting the banned direct-action group in Parliament Square. They have warned their demonstrations will continue until a legal challenge over its proscription as a terror group is heard at the High Court in November. At least 221 people have been arrested across the country under terror laws for supporting Palestine Action since it was banned in July, with ten people charged so far. Despite plans for a large-scale demonstration with the 'intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system', a spokesperson for the Met said they are prepared for 'any eventuality' and anyone showing support for the group should expect to be arrested. Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Prevent and Pursue at Counter Terrorism Policing, said that they have 'robust plans' in place to respond to activity in support of Palestine Action. 'At this time, it remains illegal to be a member of or encourage support for the group Palestine Action,' she added. 'This legislation is specific to that group and does not interfere with the right to protest in support of the Palestinian cause. 'Operational plans are in place to ensure this right can be preserved over the coming days with protests expected in several major cities, including London.' Despite pressures on prison capacity, a Ministry of Justice spokesman insisted the system is prepared to 'act quickly' if more cells are needed. Officials will not hesitate to use contingency measures if they are faced with a sudden influx to the prison estate, The Independent understands. This could include activating Operation Early Dawn, which allows defendants to be held in police cells until prison beds become available. 'The swift and coordinated response to last year's unrest shows the criminal justice system is prepared to act quickly if needed to maintain stability and keep the public safe,' the spokesperson added.


The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Fixated' man who stalked Anna Friel for three years bailed ahead of sentencing
A man who was 'fixated' with actress Anna Friel and stalked her for nearly three years has been ordered by a judge not to contact her ahead of his sentencing next month. Phil Appleton, 71, sent numerous messages, visited the actress's home address on several occasions and left 'unwanted' gifts between January 1 2022 and December 11 2024, Reading Crown Court previously heard. Appleton, of Windsor in Berkshire, pleaded guilty to a stalking offence under Section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 earlier this week. He was due to be sentenced on Thursday but judge Alan Blake adjourned the hearing until September 18 for a pre-sentence report to be carried out. The court heard that a psychiatrist had diagnosed Appleton with bipolar disorder and erotomania, where a person believes that someone else is in love with them. The psychiatrist said that Appleton had a 'fixation' with Friel and was trying to determine whether this was still the case, the court heard. The defendant, who the court heard has been in custody for six months and has spent time in a mental health facility, was granted conditional bail. Appleton must not contact Friel or enter the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, and is to co-operate with those conducting the pre-sentence report. A website under his name appears to suggest that he is an actor and retired pilot. Friel, 49, rose to fame with her role as Beth Jordache in Channel 4 soap opera Brookside. She achieved international renown in 2007 starring as Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles in ABC comedy series Pushing Daisies. In 2017, she won the International Emmy for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the ITV and Netflix mystery drama series Marcella.


Times
21 minutes ago
- Times
Son of Briton arrested over ‘drowning' hit him with a car two years ago
The husband of a woman whose father-in-law allegedly tried to drown her was jailed for harassing her and hitting his father with a car, The Times can reveal. Alex Gibbon, 34, pleaded guilty last year to assaulting his father, Mark, and harassing the mother of his two children, Jasmine Wyld, 33. The Times understands he hit Mark while driving an £80,000 Porsche Cayenne in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, in May 2023. Mark, 62, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Sunday after he allegedly tried to drown his daughter-in-law, Wyld, in a row over his will. Wyld, a hairdresser, was left with a scratch on her chest and fearing for her life after the alleged attack in a swimming pool at a luxury resort near Walt Disney World, Florida. Mark, a lighting technician who has worked on music videos for musicians including Ed Sheeran, alleged that he and Wyld had been drinking when the row occurred. He has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and battery and will appear in court next month. Mark was staying with his family at the luxury Solterra Resort in Davenport, near Walt Disney World, when he got into an argument over the 'stipulations of his will'. Alex Gibbon and Jasmine Wyld It is claimed that during the disagreement, Mark repeatedly tried to push Wyld under the water. This allegedly prompted his nine-year-old granddaughter to jump into the pool and try to save her mother. Police officers at Polk county sheriff's office said Mark pushed her away. The police said: 'She [Wyld] advised that she could not breathe and believed that she was going to drown. [She] advised that she had to fight Mark in order to get away from him and from under the water but he kept pushing her back under.' Mark, from Beaconsfield, allegedly only stopped when two onlookers told him they had called the sheriff's office. He was taken into custody at about 5.20pm last Sunday. It is said that he admitted pushing his daughter-in-law under the water but denied trying to drown her. He is said to have claimed they were drinking when they got into a row. His son had previously worked with him at his film and television lighting firm Ultralight but resigned as director in April 2023. Mark has since renamed the company as MRG Lighting and he is listed as the sole director. Mark Gibbon's home in Beaconsfield, Bukinghamshire TOBY SHEPHEARD FOR THE TIMES Alex pleaded guilty in February last year to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and harassment without violence. He was sentenced at Aylesbury crown court to a total of 25 months' imprisonment, 36 months' disqualification from driving a five-year restraining order, and surcharge. The court was told that he had been subject to a community order at the time of the offences. Mark has worked on television and film sets as well as on music videos for performers such as Sam Smith and Paloma Faith. Grady Judd, the Polk county sheriff, said: 'It's great that Polk county draws visitors from all across the world but we expect vacationers to behave while they visit with us, just as we expect our lifelong residents to do the same. Because Mr Gibbon couldn't control his anger, he may find himself spending a lot more time in Florida than he had anticipated.'