Mohammed Fahir Amaaz has been jailed for three years and six months after assaulting two female police officers and a member of the public during a violent incident at Manchester Airport.
Amaaz, 21, of Tarnside Close, Rochdale, was sentenced on Friday after being convicted of assaulting armed officer PC Ellie Cook, assaulting PC Lydia Ward causing actual bodily harm, and assaulting Abdulkareem Ismaeil.
The incident took place on 23 July 2024 after Amaaz and his older brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, had collected their mother from a flight arriving at Manchester Airport.
The court heard Amaaz headbutted Mr Ismaeil following a confrontation inside a Starbucks café in Terminal 2.
Police were called and located the brothers at a payment area in the terminal’s car park.
CCTV footage shown to jurors captured Amaaz throwing 10 punches, two elbow strikes and one kick during the confrontation. His brother was also seen throwing six punches.
Both brothers claimed they had acted in self-defence.
Amaaz was convicted at his first trial of assaulting Mr Ismaeil by beating, assaulting PC Ward occasioning actual bodily harm and assaulting emergency worker PC Cook by beating.
Both Amaaz and his brother also faced charges relating to an alleged assault on armed officer PC Zachary Marsden.
However, juries at two separate trials failed to reach verdicts on that allegation, and prosecutors later decided there would be no third trial. Both men were formally acquitted of that charge.
Passing sentence, Judge Neil Flewitt KC criticised Amaaz’s conduct following the incident.
He said: “It would have been open to you, having seen the CCTV, to say there was no justification for your attack on Ismaeil, PC Ward and PC Cook.
“Instead, you sought to blame others for what was your responsibility and portray yourself as the victim. That does not bode well for your rehabilitation.”
The judge also highlighted what he described as Amaaz’s total lack of remorse.
Following the sentencing, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said the case began after “a man was headbutted in a public place in front of his family”.
He added: “Our officers were responding quickly to precisely the sort of outrageous criminal behaviour that rightly offends the public.
“In undertaking their duties, officers were met with resistance and violence; followed by online vilification, condemnation and adverse commentary from those who did not have the full facts.”
Sir Stephen said assaults on police officers remain common across Greater Manchester, stating that an average of 35 officers are assaulted every week.
He also confirmed the force continues to cooperate with an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into the actions of officers during the incident.