Police officer under criminal investigation over alleged leak of CCTV footage from Manchester Airport brawl
The Manchester Evening News published a video last July of a police officer kicking and stamping on a young man as he lay on the ground.
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It sparked protests in the city. But later footage revealed the wider context that Mohammed Fahir Amaaz — the man on the ground — had earlier left PC Lydia Ward with a broken, bloodied nose.
Amaaz, 20, was convicted last week of assault.
The convicted thug and his brother, Muhammad Ahmed, 26, face a retrial next year over an allegation they assaulted PC Zachary Marsden - the officer seen to kick and stamp.
Police watchdog the IOPC has now begun a criminal probe into the CCTV video's source.
The unnamed cop has been told they may be held liable for how they obtained data, for misconduct and for perverting the course of justice.
In an opinion piece on Wednesday, MEN editor Sarah Lester said the footage it published " provided critical context" and pointed out that the protests "stopped overnight".
She wrote: "After a careful process of verification and intense internal debate, we published it.
"We did so because we believed, and still believe, that in a democracy, the public deserves the full picture.
"Many senior figures in Manchester, including within the police, told us they were relieved, even grateful, that we had published it.
"But we do ask: what public interest is being served by pursuing this individual?
"How much taxpayer money is being spent on this - while the justice system groans under the weight of backlogs and delays?
"What message does this send to others who might be considering speaking up? This is a bad decision."
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The Guardian
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