Two brothers accused of assaulting a police officer at Manchester Airport in July 2024 have been acquitted after prosecutors decided not to pursue a third trial.
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, were cleared at Liverpool Crown Court following two trials where juries failed to reach verdicts on charges of assaulting PC Zachary Marsden.
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The prosecution opted against another trial after the second jury deliberated for nearly 20 hours without a decision.
Judge Flewitt then discharged the siblings.
Viral Video and Incident Background
The case gained widespread attention after an 84-second video showed PC Marsden kicking Amaaz in the face and appearing to stamp on his head during a confrontation in Terminal 2.
The altercation began inside a Starbucks cafe, where one brother headbutted and punched a member of the public who had allegedly verbally abused their 56-year-old mother, Shameem Akhtar.
According to court records, Amaaz became aggressive and refused to comply when PC Marsden, PC Lydia Ward, and PC Ellie Cook arrived.
Prosecutors said all three officers were punched multiple times, breaking Ward's nose, before Amaad was restrained and Amaaz was tasered and kicked.
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The brothers from Rochdale claimed they acted in lawful self-defence.
However, Amaaz was convicted at the first trial of three counts of assault against two other officers and a civilian.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC explained the decision to halt further trials, stating that while the charge was serious and attracted public interest, it could not be described as one of extreme gravity.
The case also drew political scrutiny after Judge Flewitt referred public statements by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to the Attorney General as potential contempt of court.
The judge noted that Farage's comments implied the defendants' guilt but ultimately did not affect the trial's fairness.
During testimony, Amaaz described the rapid sequence of events, saying he could not process the details as it happened so fast.
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The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed no police officers would face charges, though an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct is ongoing.
