A Greater Manchester Police officer who gave character evidence for his brother after he attacked two female police officers at Manchester Airport has himself been sacked for gross misconduct over a racist remark towards a Black colleague.
PC Mohammed Abid was among six serving GMP officers dismissed without notice after a disciplinary panel considered allegations of racial discrimination against a female officer of African heritage.
The panel found that a culture of mocking the officer’s accent had become embedded within a team based in GMP’s Bury division.
Abid was separately found to have described the woman’s braided hair as “looking like a mop”, a remark the panel concluded was racist.
He denied making the comment and maintained during the hearing that his colleague was not telling the truth.
Abid Is Brother Of Mohammed Fahir Amaaz
Abid is the brother of Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, whose confrontation with police at Manchester Airport in July 2024 became the subject of widespread attention.
Amaaz was jailed for three-and-a-half years earlier this year for repeatedly punching PCs Lydia Ward and Ellie Cook after officers had been sent to arrest him following an earlier incident involving another man inside Terminal 2.
Abid, who was still a GMP officer but suspended from duties at the time, gave character evidence for his younger brother during the criminal proceedings.
He described his family as “close-knit” and said Amaaz had always been the youngest member who was “loved and cared for by everyone”.
“From a very young age, Fahir has been known for his respectful, gentle, and soft-spoken nature,” Abid told the jury.
“He has always looked up to me as a role model and often comes to me for advice and guidance in various aspects of his life.”
The disciplinary proceedings against Abid concerned entirely separate allegations relating to his own conduct as a police officer.
Six Serving GMP Officers Sacked
The disciplinary hearing followed an internal investigation into the treatment of the female officer, identified during proceedings only as PC Y.
Six serving officers were dismissed without notice:
- PC Demi Green
- PC Heena Rani
- PC Lucy Granby
- PC Matthew Barlow
- PC Matthew Hill
- PC Mohammed Abid
Former PC Jake Holt and another former officer, identified only as Officer A after being granted anonymity, were also found to have committed gross misconduct.
The panel determined that both would have been dismissed had they remained serving officers.
All eight have been placed on the College of Policing barred list, preventing them from returning to policing.
Panel Finds ‘Culture Of Mocking Accents’
The hearing was told that PC Y was born in Africa and speaks fluent English.
She described being repeatedly mocked and mimicked because of her accent while working within the Bury police unit.
PC Y told the hearing that the behaviour occurred every day.
“They would copy whatever I said then they would laugh about it,” she said.
She explained that although she sometimes laughed during the incidents, this was because she felt uncomfortable rather than because she found the behaviour amusing.
“It was quite upsetting,” she said. “It made me uncomfortable, nervous, quite anxious as well.”
“As things got worse, I tended to be quiet about it. It was definitely uncomfortable.”
Assistant Chief Officer Jonathan Roy, who chaired the disciplinary panel, said it had identified a “culture of mocking accents” within the unit.
The behaviour had become “so engrained”, he said, that new officers joining the team became involved within weeks.
Former PC Jake Holt and PCs Barlow, Hill and Green were among those found to have been involved in mimicking PC Y’s accent.
Former Officer A was also found to have joined in, although to a lesser extent.
The hearing heard that PCs Granby and Rani initially regarded their language as humorous and later apologised, although allegations of mimicking and mocking continued.
Abid Denied ‘Mop’ Comment
The allegation specifically involving Abid concerned PC Y’s braided hair.
The panel found that he described it as “looking like a mop”, smiled and walked away.
Abid denied making the remark and told the hearing his colleague was lying.
He also argued that he had himself experienced racism.
“No, I wouldn’t do that,” Abid said when questioned about commenting on the appearance of an older woman.
“I have got a wife, I have got sisters, I have got a mother. Since young I have been brought up to respect my elders, especially females.”
He said such behaviour would be “massively frowned upon in my culture”.
“I can’t explain, or give reasons, why she has alleged what she has alleged,” he added. “My evidence is that unfortunately, she’s not telling the truth.”
The panel rejected his account.
Panel Rules Abid’s Remark Was Racist
Roy said the allegation against Abid depended on PC Y’s account, but the panel concluded that her evidence could be relied upon.
“In the circumstances, the panel found no reason not to disbelieve PC Y’s account of the conversations with PC Abid,” he said.
“The panel therefore found as fact that PC Abid made the comment that PC Y’s hair looked like a mop.”
The panel considered the context in which the remark was made and PC Y’s race.
“The panel found that PC Abid’s comment would have been potentially offensive to any person, but in relation to PC Y, it concerned a protected characteristic relating to her race,” Roy said.
“As such the panel considered PC Abid’s comment to be a racist comment.”
The panel concluded Abid’s conduct amounted to gross misconduct.
Ninth Officer Keeps Job
A ninth officer, Sergeant Adrian Bick, was found to have committed misconduct rather than gross misconduct.
His case involved comparing an image of a suspect with PC Y.
The panel concluded there had been no breach of the professional standard concerning equality and diversity.
Bick was allowed to remain with the force but received a final written warning.
GMP: Staff Have Right To Feel Respected
Following the hearing, GMP Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said discriminatory treatment by colleagues had no place within the force.
“No officer or member of staff should have to come to work and experience discriminatory behaviour from the people they serve alongside,” he said.
“Everyone has the right to feel respected, valued and part of the same team with a shared commitment to serving our communities and keeping people safe.”
