One of two brothers accused of assaulting an armed police officer at Manchester Airport headbutted a man earlier that day inside a Starbucks, a court heard. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and his older brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, from Rochdale, deny attacking PC Zachary Marsden at the terminal 2 car park pay-station on 23 July 2024.
Airport Coffee Shop Clash Sparked Violence
Jurors at Liverpool Crown Court were told the alleged assault on PC Marsden and two other officers followed an earlier clash in the Starbucks coffee shop. Witnesses said Amaaz was “the aggressor” who “caught the man off guard and made him stumble backwards” with a headbutt before landing punches. The brothers had come to pick up their mother, returning from Pakistan. They found out there had been an incident on her flight involving a man named Abdulkareem Ismaeil. The news had upset their mother, sparking the confrontation.
Amaaz Convicted of Starbucks Assault Last Year
The brothers confronted Ismaeil at the Starbucks, where Amaaz headbutted and punched him. Amaaz was convicted of assaulting Ismaeil at a separate trial last year. During Monday’s hearing, the jury watched CCTV footage and saw photos of the attack. Two witnesses testified about the incident.
“What occurred is plain to see,” said prosecutor Paul Greaney KC. He added Ismaeil was “cornered and outnumbered” while backed against a counter with his family nearby before Amaaz struck.
The case continues.
