I had to defend myself, man accused of police officer assault at airport says

Independent

5 days ago

The brother of a man accused of assaulting three police officers at Manchester Airport has told a jury he struck out himself after he was 'put in a situation where I had to defend myself'.
Muhammad Amaad, 26, and Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, are alleged to have used a 'high level of violence' against Pc Zachary Marsden, Pc Lydia Ward and Pc Ellie Cook after they tried to arrest the younger brother.
The Greater Manchester Police officers entered the Terminal 2 car park paystation after reports that a male fitting Amaaz's description had headbutted a member of the public inside the airport just minutes before on July 23 last year.
Giving evidence on Monday at Liverpool Crown Court, Amaad said: 'They come in and grab Fahir straight away. They started pushing him forward into the ticket machine.
'I didn't understand the need for the aggression.'
He told his barrister Chloe Gardner that nothing was said by any of the officers and that he tried to 'de-escalate the situation' by saying 'easy, easy … no, no, no'.
Ms Gardner said: 'Were you trying to be provocative or make things worse?'
Amaad said: 'No, I was trying to help, if anything.'
Ms Gardner said: 'As far as you could see, did you see any reason why they grabbed hold of him?'
'No,' said Amaad.
He said he then saw a male officer, Pc Marsden, grab his younger brother's neck.
Amaad said: 'I didn't know where his other hand was. I thought both his hands might be around his neck and he was choking him.
'So, I stepped around and I just placed my hand under the officer's arm.'
He denied he pushed Pc Marsden or tried to grab the officer's throat.
Amaad said: 'Next, all I can remember is I got a bang in the face. My eyes sort of shut and I put my hands up and thought 'what was that?'
'Then I just remember 'bang, bang, bang'. It caught me by surprise, I was stunned.
'We just sort of fell over on to a chair and I am feeling punches, holding and grabbing, and I had to defend myself during that time.'
Pc Marsden went on to fire his Taser at him, the court heard, and he later sat down with his hands on his head after he saw the officer's firearm.
Amaad told the court: 'I just felt to myself 'I'm not dying today'. I have been punched, I have been tasered, I am not going to die today.'
Ms Gardner said: 'Why did you strike Pc Marsden at the seated area?'
Amaad said: 'Because it was at that point I was trying to make him stop and defend myself. I was put in a situation where I had to defend myself'.
Earlier, a total of 20 character references for Amaaz were read out by his barrister Imran Khan KC including many citing the defendant's charity work in the local community.
Among the testimonials were one from his elder brother, Mohammed Abid, 28, a serving officer with Greater Manchester Police since 2020.
He said his youngest brother, 'the baby of the family', looked up to him as a role model and that Fahir had never previously had any interactions with the police or the criminal justice system.
He said: 'He lives a clean, honest lifestyle. His dedication to his academic goals and personal development is something I deeply admire.
'Our family has strong moral values instilled in us by our parents at an early age.
'Mohammed Fahir Amaaz is a kind, respectful, upstanding young man with a bright future ahead.'
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.
Amaad, a former assistant manager at KFC, is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm.
Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations.
Amaad disagreed with prosecutor Adam Birkby that Pc Marsden posed no threat as the officer fell backwards on to seating close to the ticket machine.
Mr Birkby said: 'Do you accept you punched Pc Marsden six times?'
Amaad said: 'I was not counting but if it was six then yes.'
Mr Birkby said: 'You say those punches were lawful and the force used was reasonable?'
'Yes,' said Amaad.
Mr Birkby said: 'You are simply pummelling him with six punches when he was in a position where he couldn't defend himself, do you agree?'
Amaad said: 'I disagree.'
Mr Birkby put it to Amaad that he realised the officers had come to arrest his brother when they initially surrounded him at the ticket machine.
He said: 'You must have put two and two together that this was in relation to the violence your brother had used just five minutes earlier at Starbucks.'
Amaad said: 'I didn't have time to think. I just saw them grab him.'
Mr Birkby said: 'You knew your brother was resisting and yet rather than allowing the officers to get on with their jobs you physically intervened.'
'No,' said Amaad.
Mr Birkby went on: 'Because you didn't want your brother to get arrested.'
Amaad said: 'No, that's incorrect.'
The trial continues on Tuesday.