Police Officer Recounts Terrifying Assault at Manchester Airport

Strategic Insights -

A police officer has told a jury that she was left "absolutely terrified" after being punched in the face by a suspect at Manchester Airport. Pc Lydia Ward suffered a broken nose during the incident, which occurred on July 23 last year at the Terminal 2 car park pay station area. Ward, a former special constable with Lancashire Police, had approached Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, to arrest him after a report of an assault at a Starbucks cafe.

Key Takeaways:

  • Pc Lydia Ward, a 20-year police veteran, suffered a broken nose and was left "absolutely terrified" after being punched in the face by suspect Mohammed Fahir Amaaz at Manchester Airport.
  • Amaaz allegedly resisted arrest, and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, intervened, leading to a "high level of violence" on the officers.
  • Ward deployed her Pava incapacitant spray against two men who approached Amaaz after he was on the floor after a Taser was discharged.
  • Both Amaaz and Amaad deny the allegations of assault and actual bodily harm against the police officers.

Statistics:

  • July 23, 2022: The date of the incident at the Terminal 2 car park pay station area of Manchester Airport.
  • 2: The number of officers who approached Amaaz to arrest him, including Pc Lydia Ward and Pc Zachary Marsden.
  • 8 stone: Pc Ward's weight, described as "petite".
  • 20: The age of suspect Mohammed Fahir Amaaz.
  • 26: The age of suspect Muhammad Amaad.
  • 2022: The year the incident occurred.

Sources:

  • [Greater Manchester Police]
  • [Liverpool Crown Court]
  • [PA]
  • [CPS]