Airport Attack Sentence
Mohammed Amaaz Jailed Three-and-a-Half Years After Attacking Police at Manchester Airport
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Key Points
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Amaaz threw 10 punches during the confrontation, with his brother Amaad later intervening; both men are from Rochdale and were charged with assaulting PC Zachary Marsden during the incident.
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Female officer Lydia Ward sustained a broken nose and was seen bloodied and sobbing in bodycam footage, underscoring the severity of the assault.
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The attack occurred in the Terminal 2 car park pay station area after reports of a Starbucks headbutt, providing the specific location of the confrontation.
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A CCTV clip leaked days later showed that beforehand, several punches had been thrown toward the male firearms officer and his two female colleagues, preceding the widely shared mobile footage.
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Amaaz was 21 and Amaad was 26 at the time, both from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, highlighting the involvement of siblings from the same town in the incident.
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, was jailed for three years and six months on June 26, 2026, for a violent assault on two female police officers at Manchester Airport Liverpool Echo. He threw ten punches at PC Lydia Ward and PC Ellie Cook in the Terminal 2 car park on July 23, 2024, breaking Ward's nose and leaving her bloodied and sobbing Metro.
The attack sparked nationwide controversy after a short mobile-phone clip went viral — showing only an officer kicking Amaaz — without the full context of what came before Head Topics UK. CCTV released days later showed Amaaz had already launched a sustained attack on three officers before the clip began.
Ten Punches That Broke an Officer's Nose
The confrontation started after police were called to the Terminal 2 car park pay station area, following reports of a headbutt incident at a nearby Starbucks Liverpool Echo. Amaaz, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, threw ten punches in rapid succession at the female officers. His older brother Amaad, 26, also became involved in the struggle.
PC Ward sustained a broken nose and severe facial bruising. She was captured in bodycam footage crying and covered in blood Metro. PC Ellie Cook, an armed officer, also suffered facial injuries and lasting psychological trauma. A CCTV clip leaked shortly after the incident confirmed that punches had been thrown at the male firearms officer and both female colleagues before the viral footage even began.
Victim Calls Amaaz a Coward Who Targeted Women
Now promoted to sergeant, Lydia Ward did not hold back after sentencing. "He is a coward," she said. "He chose to punch female officers because he thought we were easy targets. He changed my face and then tried to play the victim to the world" Metro. Her words were widely shared as a direct challenge to the narrative that had built around the case.
Ward's promotion to sergeant since the attack has become a rallying point for the Police Federation. Officers say the case proves female officers are not softer targets. PC Cook also described the "lasting impact" of living through the ten-punch assault Head Topics US.
Viral Clip Sparked Protests Before Full CCTV Emerged
The 45-second mobile-phone clip spread within hours of the July 23 incident. It showed a Greater Manchester Police firearms officer kicking and stomping on Amaaz while he lay on the ground. Protests broke out outside Rochdale Police Station, with crowds chanting "GMP shame on you" and alleging racism and police brutality Head Topics UK.
Four days later, extended CCTV footage was leaked to the media. It showed the full sequence — Amaaz punching officers before the viral moment. The leak shifted the public narrative significantly. Critics including Nigel Farage had already used the case to push a "two-tier policing" argument, claiming police treated different communities differently Express.
Sentence Signals Courts Will Protect Officers From Targeted Violence
Amaaz was charged under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, not just the Assaults on Emergency Workers Act, because the attack caused a broken nose — classed as actual bodily harm. This allowed for the longer 3.5-year sentence Head Topics UK. Legal analysts say the sentence sends a clear message that courts will treat targeted violence against female officers seriously.
Proceedings involving Amaaz's brother Amaad and the charges linked to PC Zachary Marsden were more complex. The Crown Prosecution Service ultimately did not pursue a third trial in that strand of the case Liverpool Echo. The Independent Office for Police Conduct separately investigated the firearms officer seen in the viral footage, though criminal attention ultimately focused on Amaaz as the primary aggressor.
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