Manchester Airport suspect: I thought police would batter me to death
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, is accused of assaulting three Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers as they tried to arrest him on the evening of July 23 last year.
Pc Zachary Marsden and Pc Ellie Cook, armed officers, attended the Terminal 2 car park pay station area with Pc Lydia Wardafter, an unarmed officer, after reports that a man fitting Mr Amaaz's description had headbutted a member of the public.
Giving evidence at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, Mr Amaaz said he had acted in self-defence and in defence of his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, when he was grabbed at the ticket machine with no explanation.
He said a police officer, Pc Marsden, took hold of his arm, adding: 'All of a sudden I remember him grabbing the back of my neck and trying to force me to the ground.
'I was frightened. Honestly I believed if he took me to the ground I thought he would have battered me to the point where I was dead and he would have killed me.'
Imran Khan KC, defending, asked: 'Why did you think that Fahir?'
Mr Amaaz said: 'Because it's not like it has not happened before in the past, that some police officers have abused their powers and as a result of that people have died.'
Mr Amaaz said he stayed on his feet and looked up to see his brother being punched in the face 'repeatedly'.
He told the court: 'Honestly I was shocked. I thought: 'What the hell are these lot doing? Why are they punching him in the face?' We have police officers in our family.'
Mr Khan said: 'Did you think there was a legitimate reason for them grabbing you in the way they did?'
Mr Amaaz said: 'If there was I would have expected them to give me that reason and communicated to us in some way.'
Mr Amaaz went on to strike the two female officers, who were both knocked to the ground, with Pc Ward suffering a broken nose.
He said he kicked out at one of the officers to 'get him away' from Mr Amaaz and then punched Pc Cook for the same reason.
Mr Amaaz said then he saw Pc Marsden pointing what he thought was a gun – in fact a Taser – at his brother.
He said: 'Honestly I believe this guy is about to shoot and kill my brother. I think I shouted: 'No!' I didn't want him to pull that trigger.'
He ran towards Pc Marsden and struck him from behind before Pc Cook fired her Taser at him, the court heard.
Mr Amaaz said: 'I believed I had saved my brother's life then all of a sudden if feels like all the energy has just gone out of me. It felt like the soul being sucked out of my body and everything went stiff.'
He said he thought he was 'dying' as he held on to Pc Marsden as they both fell backwards.
Mr Amaaz told the jury that he had no hostility towards the police and that another brother, Abid, was a serving GMP officer.
He added that his uncle was a GMP officer for 30 years before his retirement and that six cousins were also employed by GMP.
Mr Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden and Pc Ward, causing them actual bodily harm.
He is also accused of the assault of emergency worker Pc Cook, and the earlier assault of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals.
Mr Amaad is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm.
Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
18 foreign spies sanctioned by UK government
Britain has imposed sanctions on 18 officers and three units from Russia 's GRU spy agency, accusing them of a sustained campaign of malicious activity against the UK and Europe. The sanctioned individuals and units are implicated in spreading chaos, conducting cyberattacks, and undermining democratic institutions across the continent. Specific actions include targeting the family of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal with malware in 2013, five years before the Novichok poisoning attempt in Salisbury. One GRU unit (26165) conducted online reconnaissance on civilian bomb shelters in Mariupol and Kharkiv in 2022, including the Mariupol theatre which was subsequently bombed, killing approximately 600 people. The sanctions also target the Africa Initiative, which uses Russian intelligence officers for information operations in Africa, and aim to raise awareness and increase the cost for those working for Russian intelligence services.
Telegraph
30 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Surgeon loses £14m snowmobile crash claim because of ‘s--- happens' text
Judge Andrew Ritchie dismissed the claim at London's High Court as he said that Mr Cannestra, an American from Florida, who was dubbed an 'adrenaline junkie' by Ms Mealor, had 'wanted more speed' and had caused the crash himself when he 'accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes'. The judge also pointed out that the surgeon had sent a post-accident text to McLaren staff, saying: 'No worries … s--- happens … I asked... if I owe you guys a snowmobile, or any other costs. Please let me know. It was my error and my responsibility.' In another, he wrote: 'Thank you both so much for your help yesterday and thru my little self-destructive snowmobile behaviour. Please let me know anything I am responsible for.... transport.... a snowmobile..... etc. we had a great time and all is good!' Mr Cannestra insisted his post-accident messages did not amount to an admission of fault. Neil Block KC, for Mr Cannestra, had told London's High Court that both riders were 'absolute novices' and argued their guides should have done more to explain the detailed layout of their route through the forest. The surgeon crashed after a pause in the journey during which his guide had changed the drive mode so that the doctor's snowmobile could hit higher speeds. Lasting problems The impact resulted in a brain haemorrhage and severe leg injuries, causing lasting problems with 'word-finding, comprehension, memory and fatigue' and worsening his previous hand tremor. Mr Cannestra, who was earning around £1.8m per year, has had to give up brain surgery, although his lawyers say he 'continues to work to a limited extent.' Dismissing his claim, the judge said: 'He was following a guide round a snowy track through trees, but he lost control, drove off the track and hit a tree. He was injured. At first, he thought it was all his own fault, apologised and offered to pay for the smashed-up snow mobile. 'At the ambulance in the car park, he told [the guide] that he accidentally pressed the throttle in the middle of turn two and blamed his glove. 'At hospital, he told a medic he accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes. He considered that he himself was the cause of the accident. He did not blame [the guide] for rushing him or disappearing. He said the guide was not dealing with a '17-year-old new car driver ' who had just passed their driving test, adding: 'He was guiding a mature, supercar and jet-ski aficionado, who had ridden confidently and wanted more speed.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘Gangster granny' leader of family crime gang jailed for dealing drugs worth £80m
A family-run organised crime group, orchestrated by a 65-year-old described by police as a 'gangster granny', has been sentenced for dealing drugs with a street value of £80m across the UK. Deborah Mason, who had the moniker 'Queen Bee', and seven other members of the gang, were sentenced to a total of 106.5 years at Woolwich crown court in London on Friday for their involvement in supplying nearly a tonne of cocaine over seven months. A group of couriers collected packages of imported cocaine and drove them across London as well as Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, between April and November 2023, the court heard. The drugs had an estimated wholesale value of between £23m and £35m and a street value of £80m. The ringleader spent her profits on designer goods and was looking to travel to Turkey to have cosmetic surgery, while young mothers who were part of the gang took their young children to pick-ups. Mason, who directed other members of the gang and was in contact with an upstream supplier called Bugsy, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Judge Philip Shorrock told Mason: 'You were effectively the site foreman working under the direction of a site manager. 'You recruited members of your own family – as a mother you should have been setting an example for your children and not corrupting them.' The judge noted that several of the women have young children but said their involvement in the drug network only 'makes it easier for unscrupulous' dealers to seek to recruit mothers. Earlier, prosecutor Charlotte Hole said: 'Everyone involved had an expectation of significant financial advantage, at least £1,000 per trip, and it is one of the most significant parts of the motivation of the conspiracy. 'They all had an awareness of the scale of the operation.' Hole added: 'She (Mason) recruited both her family members – her sister and her children – as well as partners and friends of her children, to a network of at least 10 individuals.' Mason did not use pressure or coercion to woo her family into the gang as they were 'motivated by financial benefit'. The court also heard she was in receipt of in excess of £50,000 a year in benefit income during the conspiracy period, while acting as ringleader and spending lavishly on luxuries. When Mason was on holiday in Dubai, her daughter Roseanne Mason, who made seven trips delivering about 166kg of cocaine, stepped into the directing role, the court heard. The prosecution said Roseanne Mason collected cash for her mother and also 'provided childcare so that others could work'. George Payne, defending Deborah Mason, claimed his client was not the top director of the gang's actions. In his mitigation argument, he said: 'It is precisely because she does not look like someone who is involved in drug dealing that she was chosen to be part of the plot.' He added: 'I submit that all of these individuals are expendable, without experience and without a lot of knowledge.' Mother of two Demi Bright made a single trip in August 2023 which involved 60kg of cocaine. She took her children with her on the two-day trip, which involved an overnight stay in a hotel. Lillie Bright was involved in 20 trips involving 195kg of cocaine. Her partner Chloe Hodgkin, 23, of Abbots Walk, Wye, Kent, is awaiting the birth of her baby and is to be sentenced at a date to be set. Reggie Bright's 12 trips as part of the gang delivered at least 90kg and there were times he collected wages for the group. He usually took trips with his partner, Demi Kendall, 31, telling her 'not to get the hump because we need the money', the court heard. Tina Golding made four trips and delivered at least 75kg of cocaine, collecting at least £10,000 in wages. Anita Slaughter took part in a single trip, which amounted to 55kg across four drops, in October 2023. Roseanne Mason, 29, of Canonbury, north London, and Demi Bright, 30, of Ashford, Kent, were each sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment. Lillie Bright, 26, of Ashford, Kent, was sentenced to 13 years, and Demi Kendall, 31, of Staplehurst, Kent, was sentenced to 13 years and six months' imprisonment. Reggie Bright, 24, of Staplehurst, Kent, was sentenced to 15 years, and Tina Golding, 66, of Ashford, Kent, was jailed for 10 years. Slaughter, 44, of Ashford, Kent, was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment. Acting on intelligence, Metropolitan police officers used a range of investigative techniques including extensive call data and conventional surveillance to track Deborah Mason and her couriers' movements. Most of the gang were arrested in May 2024. Met DC Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation, said: 'This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved. 'Following months of work by the Met police to relentlessly pursue these perpetrators, we were able to arrest and eventually convict them, preventing more drugs flooding streets across the UK which leads to violence, antisocial behaviour and misery for communities.'
