A female police officer required surgery after being punched in the face during a confrontation at Manchester Airport, a court has heard. PC Lydia Ward suffered a broken nose and saw blood after being struck by Mohammed Fahir Amaaz.
The incident occurred on July 23, 2024, at a pay station in Terminal 2. Mr Amaaz, 21, and his brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, both from Rochdale, had earlier attended the airport to pick up their mother. The younger sibling had been involved in a disagreement at a Starbucks branch before police were called.
PC Ward told Liverpool Crown Court that she and two colleagues entered the pay station area to arrest Mr Amaaz. She said she took hold of his right arm while PC Zachary Marsden held his left. The situation escalated quickly, and Mr Amaaz tensed up, resisting arrest.
The officer described seeing Mr Amaaz kicking PC Marsden with great force. 'It was at that point I was very scared for all of us,' she said. As she tried to pull him off, Mr Amaaz punched her straight to the face. 'Everything went black. I could just see blood start to come out of my nose.'
PC Ward later attended hospital and was found to have a broken nose, requiring surgery. She also used PAVA spray after two members of the public behaved in a hostile manner.
Under cross-examination, PC Ward denied suggestions of failures in intelligence gathering or risk assessment. She also denied punching Mr Amaaz in the throat, stating she was trying to get him off her colleague. Mr Amaaz's lawyer claimed the punch was in self-defence, but PC Ward rejected this, saying, 'I think he assaulted me.'
Mr Amaaz has been convicted of assaulting PC Ward and another officer, PC Ellie Cook, as well as a member of the public at Starbucks. He and his brother deny assaulting PC Marsden, who suffered post-concussion syndrome. The trial continues.
