Man guilty of attacking police officers and innocent bystander in shocking Manchester Airport assault

A Rochdale man has been convicted after violently assaulting two female police officers and a member of the public in front of children at Manchester Airport.

A 20-year-old man from Rochdale has been found guilty of assaulting two female police officers and a member of the public during a shocking incident at Manchester Airport.

Following a four-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Mohammed Fahir Amaaz was convicted of two counts of actual bodily harm and one count of common assault. The attacks took place on Tuesday 23 July 2024, beginning in a Starbucks cafe within Terminal 2 and continuing later at the terminal car park’s pay station.

CCTV evidence played to the jury showed Amaaz headbutting a man in the cafe without provocation. The victim, accompanied by his wife and children, was not found to have shown any threatening behaviour toward Amaaz or his family, despite the defence’s claims.

When police officers attempted to detain Amaaz, he lashed out in a prolonged and aggressive attack. Footage revealed he threw at least 10 punches, two elbow strikes, and a kick. The two female officers sustained significant injuries, including a broken nose, bruising and concussion. A male officer was also involved in the attempted arrest, though the jury was unable to reach a verdict regarding alleged assaults on him. A retrial is now being supported by the Crown Prosecution Service and Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

The case was led by GMP’s Serious Crime Division, who meticulously pieced together evidence from airport CCTV, body-worn cameras and witness accounts to present a clear timeline from the initial assault through to the violence in the car park.

Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson described the incident as “outrageous criminal behaviour” and stressed that while he was disappointed the jury had not reached a unanimous verdict on all counts, he welcomed the convictions achieved.

“Our officers responded swiftly to an unprovoked assault on a member of the public in front of his family,” said Sir Stephen. “The offender’s violent conduct has now been rightly exposed. While assaults on police are sadly frequent – with 44 GMP officers assaulted every week – they remain wholly unacceptable. These officers were simply doing their duty to protect the public.”

He also thanked the public for their support: “Many people have contacted us to express their well-wishes for the officers involved, and we are grateful for that solidarity.”

GMP confirmed that both injured officers continue to receive support and that a retrial will be pursued for the unresolved counts involving the male officer.