Man Tells Court He Thought He Would Die During Airport Police Assault

A man accused of assaulting a firearms officer at Manchester Airport has told a jury he thought he was "going to die" when his head was pushed to the ground. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, are said to have unlawfully used a "high level of violence" against police at the car park pay station area of Terminal 2 in July 2024. Giving evidence at Liverpool Crown Court, Amaaz said he tensed up as he was grabbed by the arm and recognised it was a police officer when he turned round. Amaaz said: "No, I didn't have a second to think because as I soon as I looked over I got pushed straight into the machine." Amaaz went on: "I was just thinking 'why is this guy using so much force?' The way he was grabbing my neck, I just felt that if this guy forces me to the ground he is going to beat me up to the point where I cannot breathe and I will be dead." Amaaz said: "No, nothing at all was said to me. I didn't know what was going on." Amaaz said: "It's not like these things have not happened before when a police officer abuses their powers and, as a result, people have died." The defendant replied: "Yes, I actually thought I am going to be one of those people that day." "I remember looking over and just seeing him getting smashed in the face by two police officers. I was thinking 'What is wrong with these people? They are punching him in the face for no reason'." Amaaz told Khan he acted in self-defence and did not realise his "attackers" were female, and that "it was happening so fast I couldn't process the little details". He said: "I turned towards my right and I struck out at the same time. I didn't know where it was going. I felt like I needed to protect myself from this person." Amaaz said he saw another officer, PC Cook, run towards him with their hands up and punched them until they were "no longer a threat". He said he then punched PC Marsden to the side of the head as he wrongly thought he was aiming a gun at his brother and did not realise at the time it was the officer's Taser. Amaaz is said to have raised and moved his head on the floor and that in response PC Marsden kicked him to the face and brought his foot down towards the top of his head in what appeared to be a stamping motion. The defendant said: "I could see a boot coming straight towards my face. As soon as I felt it everything shut down and I was unconscious in split seconds."