Mohammed Fahir Amaaz jailed after assaulting two female police officers at Manchester Airport

A man has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail after a "cowardly" assault on two female police officers at Manchester Airport.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, punched PC Lydia Ward in the face, knocking her down and breaking her nose, and assaulted PC Ellie Cook.

Amaaz was also convicted of the earlier assault of a member of the public at an airport Starbucks.

Reading a statement during Amaaz's sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, Ms Ward said: "I want you to take a good look at me."

"You chose to attack a female. You knocked me to the ground with one punch, with so much force you broke my nose.

"How would you feel if a male did that to your mother? How would you feel if it was your mother standing here today explaining how she was violently assaulted by a male?

"What you did was cowardly."

The incident happened at a car park pay area on 23 July 2024 after Amaaz and his 26-year-old brother, Muhammad Amaad, went to collect their mother from a flight.

Police were called after Amaaz went into Starbucks and headbutted Abdulkareem Ismaeil - who he claimed racially abused his mother on the plane.

The brothers resisted when officers tried to detain them and told the court they did not know they were being approached by police.

Prosecutors said Amaaz threw 10 punches, two elbow strikes and a kick, while Amaad aimed six blows at firearms officer PC Zachary Marsden.

Footage of a kick and stamp by PC Marsden on Amaaz was widely shared on social media in the days after the incident, sparking protests.

Days later a CCTV clip leaked to the media revealed that beforehand a number of punches were thrown towards the male firearms officer and his two female colleagues.

Ms Ward said: "What angers me is that afterwards, when only part of the footage was out in the public, you played the victim.

"You are not a victim. I am the one who was injured, not you. You had the whole world listening to you and you showed no remorse. Not one ounce.

"You allowed the public to feel sorry for you. You made out like we had done something wrong when all we were doing was our job."

Jurors at Liverpool Crown Court found Amaaz guilty of actual bodily harm to PC Ward, and of assaulting PC Cook and Mr Ismaeil.

Amaaz and Amaad were also charged with assaulting firearms officer PC Marsden, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict. Last month, a decision was made by the Crown Prosecution Service not to pursue a third trial.

The men claimed they acted in lawful self-defence, or defence of each other.

(c) Sky News 2026: Mohammed Fahir Amaaz jailed after assaulting two female police officers at Manchester Airport