The jury in the trial of two brothers accused over assaults on police officers at Manchester Airport has been sent out to consider its verdicts.
Pc Zachary Marsden, Pc Lydia Ward and Pc Ellie Cook approached Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, at a ticket machine after a report that a male fitting his description had headbutted a customer at Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals on July 23 last year.
Amaaz allegedly resisted, and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, is then said to have intervened as the prosecution said they inflicted a “high level of violence” on the Greater Manchester Police officers.
The Crown say CCTV footage showed Amaaz threw 10 punches, which included one to the face of Pc Ward that knocked her to the floor, and that Amaad aimed six punches at firearms officer Pc Marsden.
Amaaz is also said to have kicked Pc Marsden and twice struck fellow firearms officer Pc Cook with his elbow.
He is said to have punched Pc Marsden from behind and then had hold of him before Pc Cook discharged her Taser device.
Mobile phone footage of a kick and stamp by Pc Marsden as Amaaz lay on the floor was shared on social media and went viral.
Amaaz and Amaad, both from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, told the court they acted in lawful self-defence, or in defence of the other.
Giving evidence at Liverpool Crown Court, Amaaz said he feared the “lunatic” male officer would “batter him to death” and Amaad said he believed he was under attack.
The defence said the officers used “unlawful force” as they grabbed Amaaz from behind without announcing themselves.
Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden and Pc Ward, causing them actual bodily harm.
He is also accused of the assault of emergency worker Pc Cook, and the earlier assault by beating of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals – in which he also claimed he was acting in self-defence
Amaad is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm.
The jury has been sent home and will resume its deliberations on Tuesday from 10.30am.
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