Manchester Airport attacker who assaulted two female officers has bid to reduce his sentence rejected

The Manchester Airport attacker convicted of assaulting two female police officers has had a bid to reduce his sentence rejected.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, was jailed for three-and-a-half years in 2025 after being convicted of common assault and two counts of actual bodily harm involving police officers Sgt Lydia Ward and PC Ellie Cook.

But on Friday, the Court of Appeal rejected an appeal for his sentence to be reduced on the grounds it was 'wrong in principle and resulted in a sentence that was manifestly excessive'.

In a case sparking accusations of two-tier justice and police racism, Amaaz and his brother, Muhammed Amaad, 26, battled police officers beside a car park pay station at Manchester Airport's Terminal Two on July 23, 2024.

The incident occurred after Amaaz assaulted Kuwaiti holidaymaker Abdulkareem Ismaeil, whom he accused of racially abusing his mother Shameem Akhtar after meeting on an incoming flight from Pakistan via Qatar.

Sgt Ward - who was then a constable - and two armed colleagues caught up with Amaaz as his group were paying for parking and they took hold of him in an attempt to arrest him.

However, Amaaz fought back at the officers before both brothers, who are from Rochdale, began throwing punches. 

Amaaz punched Sgt Ward in the face, knocking her down and breaking her nose. She was later shown on police bodycam footage bloodied and sobbing following the attack.

Amaaz then knocked PC Cook to the ground with a series of elbows and punches.

Meanwhile, Amaad overpowered PC Zachary Marsden and began raining punches down before Amaaz joined in. 

The brothers were both arrested after PC Cook fired her 50,000 volt Taser at Amaaz, who then fell to the floor. Amid the confusion, PC Marsden kicked the teenager in the face and aimed a stamp close by.

After a four-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Amaaz was found guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm to Sgt Ward and of assault against unarmed PC Cook. 

But after 10 hours of deliberating, a jury was unable to reach verdicts that the brothers assaulted PC Marsden causing actual bodily harm.

Imran Khan KC, representing Amaaz, argued to the Court of Appeal the offences against PC Ward and PC Cook happened in the context of 'unlawful detention by police officers' and therefore Amaaz should have been sentenced for 'excessive self-defence'.

Mr Khan also claimed Judge Neil Flewitt KC erred by drawing 'a specific adverse inference' from two hung juries followed by an acquittal on a count of actual bodily harm against a third officer, which the judges rejected.

Mr Justice Bryan, sitting with Lord Justice Jeremy Baker and Mr Justice Dexter Dias, said footage clearly captured Amaaz 'inflicting unprovoked violence against PC Ward and PC Cook'.

In a statement given at Liverpool Crown Court in June, Sgt Ward told Amaaz he 'changed' her face.

She criticised him for playing 'the victim' when misleading footage of the aftermath of the attack, filmed by onlookers, went viral and having allowed the 'public to feel sorry for you'.

Sgt Ward also challenged her attacker to 'take a good look at me' and recognise the 5ft 2in, 8st woman behind the police uniform, she bravely spelt out the lasting physical and mental trauma caused by his shocking and unprovoked attack.

'I want you to know I am not weak,' she told Amaaz.'No matter how this has affected me or impacted on my life I will not allow you to see me as weak.

'You used me as a punch bag, but I will get back up and I will show you how strong I am.'

PC Cook, meanwhile, told of how she has been left 'broken' and her dreams of one day becoming a close protection officer are on hold because of the assault.