The trial of two brothers accused of violently assaulting police officers at Manchester Airport gets underway later today.
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, of Tarnside Close, Rochdale, both deny the allegations against them, which are as follows:
- Amaaz:
- Two assaults occasioning actual bodily harm of PCs Zachary Marsden and Lydia Ward;
- Assault by beating of PC Ellie Cook, a constable who was acting in exercise of functions as an emergency worker;
- Assault by beating of Abdulkareem Hamzah Abbas Ismaeil.
- Amaad:
- Assault occasioning actual bodily harm of PC Zachary Marsden.
The allegations arise from a widely publicised incident at Manchester Airport on Tuesday, 24th July 2024.
HHJ Neil Flewitt KC will be presiding over the trial at Liverpool Crown Court. It is expected to last around three weeks.
The main thrust of today's effort will be selecting and swearing in the jury. That could take quite some time, given the contentious and well publicised subject matter of the trial.
It is unlikely that the prosecution will open until tomorrow.
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm is an offence under section 47 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, which has a maximum sentence of 5 years' custody on conviction on indictment.
Assault by beating of an emergency worker is an offence under section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 as amended by section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018. It has a maximum sentence of 2 years' custody on conviction on indictment.
You can read more about these offences on my Offences Against the Person article.
Based on previous press conferences held by the brothers, it would appear that they will be arguing self-defence.