The brother of a man accused of assaulting three police officers at Manchester Airport told a jury he was forced to defend himself during the confrontation. Muhammad Amaad, 26, said he struck out after being "put in a situation where I had to defend myself".
Amaad and his younger brother Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, are alleged to have used a "high level of violence" against three Greater Manchester Police officers. The incident occurred after police tried to arrest the younger brother at Terminal 2's car park paystation on July 23 last year.
Officers grabbed brother immediately
Giving evidence at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, Amaad described how officers entered the paystation and immediately grabbed his brother. He said they "started pushing him forward into the ticket machine" without explanation.
"I didn't understand the need for the aggression," Amaad told his barrister Chloe Gardner. He claimed nothing was said by any of the officers and that he tried to "de-escalate the situation" by saying "easy, easy … no, no, no".
Defendant denies being provocative
When asked if he was trying to be provocative, Amaad replied: "No, I was trying to help, if anything." He said he saw no reason why officers had grabbed his brother.
The situation escalated when Amaad saw Pc Zachary Marsden grab his younger brother's neck. "I didn't know where his other hand was. I thought both his hands might be around his neck and he was choking him," he said.
Punches and Taser deployment
Amaad said he "just placed my hand under the officer's arm" but denied pushing Pc Marsden or trying to grab the officer's throat. He then described being struck in the face and stunned by repeated blows.
"Next, all I can remember is I got a bang in the face. My eyes sort of shut and I put my hands up," he told the court. The confrontation continued with both men falling over a chair, during which Amaad said he felt punches and had to defend himself.
Character references presented
Pc Marsden later fired his Taser at Amaad, who said: "I just felt to myself 'I'm not dying today'. I have been punched, I have been tasered, I am not going to die today." Earlier in proceedings, 20 character references for Amaaz were read out, including testimony from his elder brother Mohammed Abid, 28, a serving Greater Manchester Police officer since 2020.
Abid described his youngest brother as "the baby of the family" who had never previously interacted with police or the criminal justice system. He praised Fahir's "clean, honest lifestyle" and dedication to academic goals.
Charges and denials
Amaaz faces charges of assaulting Pc Marsden and Pc Ward, causing actual bodily harm, plus assault of emergency worker Pc Cook. He is also accused of earlier assaulting a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in Terminal 2 arrivals.
Amaad, a former KFC assistant manager, is charged with assaulting Pc Marsden and causing actual bodily harm. Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny all allegations against them.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
