17-07-2025
Manchester Airport brawl accused 'feared police would kill him'
A man accused of assaulting police officers at Manchester Airport during a brawl has told a jury he thought one of the officers "would have killed" him. Mohammed Amaaz, 20, and his brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, are alleged to have struck out after police tried to make an arrest at a car park pay station in July last year. The prosecution has previously claimed the brothers had subjected officers to a "high level of violence". The pair deny assault and claim they acted in lawful self Amaaz told Liverpool Crown Court he had felt someone grab him and he was "frightened", fearing "he would just have battered me to the point where I've died".
He said the person did not identify themselves or explain why they were grabbing Amaaz said moments later he turned and recognised it was a police officer, PC Zachary Mardsen, who grabbed his head and neck and tried to force him to the ground.
Mr Amaaz told the jury: "I was frightened. I just didn't want to go down to the ground. "I believe if he forced me down to the ground he would just have battered me to the point where I've died. "He would have killed me."When asked by defence barrister, Imran Khan KC, why he thought this, Mr Amaaz said: "It's not like it's not happened in the past. "Some police officers have abused their powers and some people have died."
Mr Amaaz said he did not realise another officer, PC Lydia Ward, who was injured in the brawl, was a police officer or that she was a said he was trying to protect his brother. The court has previously heard PC Ward suffered a broken nose after being punched. Mr Amaaz told the court at one point he saw an officer, PC Ellie Cook, pointing what he thought was a gun at his brother without realising it was, in fact, a Taser."Honestly I thought they were going to shoot and kill my brother," he said.
The jury has been told that three officers went to make an arrest after a confrontation with a man who had been on a flight with the brothers' mother. Mr Amaaz is accused of headbutting a customer at the Starbucks cafe in the airport said the incident was "self-defence". Earlier, Mr Amaaz told the court one of his brothers, his uncle and five of his cousins were or had been officers with Greater Manchester Police. He said he had no hostility towards the police, and his relatives had shown him there were "good and bad police officers out there, just as there are good and bad people out there". Mr Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden and PC Ward, causing them actual bodily is also accused of the assault of emergency worker PC Cook, and the earlier assault of a member of the Amaad is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden, causing actual bodily men, from Rochdale, deny the trial continues.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
