Manchester Airport brawl officer ‘was bully with a badge’, jury told

A police officer involved in a fracas at Manchester Airport was an “uncontrolled bully with a badge”, a jury has heard.

PC Zachary Marsden and two female colleagues were responding to a report of a man being headbutted at a Starbucks cafe in Terminal 2 arrivals when the disturbance broke out on July 23 last year.

It is alleged Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, resisted as he was grabbed from behind at a car park ticket machine and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, intervened as both inflicted a “high level of violence” on the officers.

Chloe Gardner, defending Amaad, told their trial Liverpool Crown Court: “We see PC Marsden stride up to his brother’s left side and grab first his arm and then his head and neck.”

Mr Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden and PC Lydia Ward, causing them actual bodily harm.

He is also accused of the assault of emergency worker PC Ellie Cook, and the earlier assault by beating of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in Terminal 2.

Mr Amaad is also alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden, causing actual bodily harm.

Both defendants, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations and claim they were lawfully acting in self-defence or in defence of each other.

In her closing speech at the trial, Ms Gardner said the officers did not say they were police and made “no announcement of any sort” when they grabbed Mr Amaaz.

“That’s crucial,” she told the jury.

“PC Marsden used unnecessary violence. His behaviour is indicative of how he behaves in general, certainly that day. Aggressive and uncontrolled.”

She said Mr Amaad was heard to say “easy, easy, easy … no, no, no” in a bid to de-escalate the situation, but his words had “zero effect on PC Marsden” who was “pretty much covered in red mist”.

Ms Gardner said: “We say that from the outset, PC Marsden had no regard for procedure and acted how he wanted. His way was the only way.

“Mr Amaad told you his intention was solely to get PC Marsden’s hands off his brother. Mr Amaad was clear that at no point did he try to grab PC Marsden’s throat.”

She said PC Marsden had told lies in various statements about his interactions with Amaad at the pay station area.

Ms Gardner said: “We say it is critical when you consider PC Marsden’s credibility.

“He has come into this courtroom and he has lied to you.”

She said Mr Amaad did “no more than was necessary” to defend his brother and then himself as he believed he was “under attack”.

Tasers were later fired at both brothers, the court has heard, and their mother, Shameem Akhtar, was injured in the melee.

The defendants say PC Marsden struck her in the face with his Taser, while the officer said he believed Mr Amaad accidentally elbowed her.

Mobile phone footage of the officer kicking and stamping on the head of Mr Amaaz was shared widely on social media last year.

Ms Gardner said PC Marsden went on to kick Mr Amaad in the stomach and to the groin and “smack him in the head” with his Taser.

She said: “Even when he has both brothers immobile and the mother has been hit in the face and is bleeding, he continues to assault Mr Amaad.

“He is an uncontrolled bully with a badge. He defied protocol, ethics, procedure and law.”

The trial continues on Monday, when the jury is expected to be sent out to begin their deliberations.