Dramatic footage played to a jury shows the moment a man allegedly headbutted a fellow passenger in Starbucks minutes before a violent confrontation with police that sparked nationwide controversy and protests last year.
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, are on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of assaulting three police officers who left one with a broken nose during an incident at Manchester Airport on July 23, 2024. The brothers deny all charges and claim they acted in self-defense.
Jurors were shown CCTV footage on Friday revealing Amaaz, wearing a blue hooded jacket, allegedly headbutting Abdulkareem Ismaeil in the face and throwing punches as children and other passengers looked on inside the Terminal Two coffee shop.
Flight Dispute Triggers Airport Violence
Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC told the court the confrontation began after the brothers arrived at the airport to collect their mother from a Qatar Airways flight. Mr Ismaeil, who was traveling with his wife and three children, had been on the same flight.
“It was clear that something happened between the group on the flight that made Amaaz and Amaad’s mother unhappy,” Mr Greaney explained to the jury.
The court heard that after spotting Mr Ismaeil in Starbucks, the defendants’ mother pointed him out to her sons, prompting them to enter the coffee shop and confront him at approximately 8:20 PM.
“During that confrontation, Mohammed Fahir Amaaz delivered a headbutt to the face of Abdulkareem Ismaeil and punched him, then attempted to deliver other blows, all in front of a number of children,” the prosecutor stated. “The prosecution case is that this was obviously unlawful conduct.”
Witnesses Describe “Forceful” Attack
Cameron Cartledge, the Starbucks duty manager who called police, testified about witnessing the alleged assault. “It was a big head butt and looked very forceful. It looked quite powerful and had force behind it,” he told the court.
Mr Cartledge said he heard raised voices between the men but could not understand the conversation, which he believed was in Arabic. “They were arguing but I did not know what was being said because it was in another language,” he testified.
Barista Justine Pakaline corroborated the account, describing Amaaz as looking “aggressive and angry” while Mr Ismaeil appeared “calm and collected.” She told jurors she heard Amaaz say in English, “Come outside and fight,” after the alleged headbutt caused Mr Ismaeil to stumble backward into the syrup counter.
Armed Officers Trace Brothers to Car Park
Following the Starbucks incident, police traced the brothers to the terminal’s car park payment area where they were attempting to pay for parking. Three officers—PC Zachary Marsden and PC Ellie Cook, both armed, and PC Lydia Ward, who was unarmed—approached to arrest Amaaz.
Mr Greaney told the court: “The officers attempted to move Mohammed Fahir Amaaz away from a payment machine in order to arrest him, but he resisted, and his brother Muhammad Amaad intervened. Both defendants assaulted PC Marsden.”
The prosecutor alleged that “in the moments that followed, the first defendant also assaulted PC Cook and then PC Ward too, breaking her nose. The defendants used a high level of violence.”
Detailed Account of Police Confrontation
The jury watched CCTV and body-worn camera footage showing the violent confrontation unfold as stunned passengers filmed on mobile phones. Mr Greaney provided a detailed account of the alleged assaults:
“When the officers arrived Amaaz was at the payment machine. PC Marsden took hold of his left arm in order to move him away from the machine and carry out an arrest,” he explained.
According to the prosecution, Amaad then intervened, pushing between the officers and “forcefully pushing and grabbing PC Marsden,” who responded by delivering a blow to the second defendant.
Amaad then grabbed the head or neck of PC Marsden and forcefully pushed him back and down,” Mr Greaney continued. “This enabled Mohammed Fahir Amaaz to pull his left arm away from PC Marsden’s grip.”
Female Officer Suffers Broken Nose
The court heard that Amaaz allegedly threw a series of punches at the female officers after freeing himself. “He threw a left hook that struck PC Cook as she was attempting to prevent Amaad from assaulting PC Marsden,” the prosecutor stated.
He then turned his attention to PC Ward, punching her hard to the face with his left hand. She dropped to the floor immediately. In footage, blood can be seen streaming from her nose as she cries and is comforted by PC Cook and another officer. Amaaz had broken her nose.”
Body-worn camera footage showed PC Ward holding her bloodied nose and crying before being led away by colleagues, visibly distressed from the attack.
Officer’s Controversial Response
The footage also captured PC Marsden’s controversial response after Amaaz was Tasered and forced to the ground. The CCTV showed the officer aiming a kick to Amaaz’s head followed by a stamping motion as the brothers’ mother knelt beside her son.
Mr Greaney acknowledged to the jury: “We recognise those actions look rather shocking in the cold light of day, but we suggest they need to be judged in the context of the very serious level of threat posed by the defendants to an officer who was concerned that his firearm might be taken from him at an airport.”
The prosecutor also noted that a fourth officer, PC Mark Flanagan, “used foul language” when heard on body-worn camera footage shouting at Muhammad Amaad: “If you move, I will smash your f***** face in.
Defense Claims Self-Defense
Both brothers have pleaded not guilty to all charges and claim they were acting defensively. Under cross-examination by Imran Khan KC, representing Amaaz, witnesses were challenged on their accounts of the Starbucks incident.
Mr Khan suggested to witness Cameron Cartledge that the conversation between the men was in English, not Arabic, which the witness disputed. The defense counsel also put it to barista Justine Pakaline that Mr Ismaeil was the “aggressor” who had stepped forward toward Amaaz.
Ms Pakaline firmly rejected this suggestion, stating: “Even if he stepped forward he didn’t lay a hand on him. It was the other way round—he headbutted him.”
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz faces four charges: assault by beating of Abdulkareem Ismaeil, two charges of assault causing actual bodily harm to PC Marsden and PC Ward, and assault by beating of PC Ellie Cook while she was acting as an emergency worker.
Muhammad Amaad is charged with one count of assault causing actual bodily harm to PC Marsden.
The Crown Prosecution Service previously announced that no police officers would face charges over the incident, despite an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
National Controversy and Protests
The incident gained widespread attention after initial footage showing PC Marsden kicking and stamping on Amaaz went viral on social media, prompting protests outside Rochdale Police Station and in Manchester city center.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at the time he “understood the public’s concern” about the footage. The case also sparked political debate, with Reform Party leader Nigel Farage suggesting it exemplified a “two-tier” justice system.
Judge Neil Flewitt KC warned potential jurors at the start of the trial they “must not allow yourselves to be influenced by anything you may have read or heard on the mainstream media or social media.
The trial, expected to last three weeks, continues on Monday.
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