Student claims he 'didn't know he was hitting woman' in Manchester Airport attack trial

A student has told a jury he did not know that two police officers he hit to the floor within seconds at Manchester Airport were women.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, claims he was acting in self defence, or in defence of his brother, when he struck out at Pc Lydia Ward, Pc Ellie Cook and Pc Zachary Marsden.

The Greater Manchester Police officers entered the Terminal 2 car park paystation after reports that a male fitting Amaaz's description had headbutted a member of the public inside the airport just minutes before on July 23.

Prosecutors say Amaaz resisted arrest and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, intervened as both subjected the officers to a "high level of violence".

Amaaz has told Liverpool Crown Court that he feared Pc Marsden would "batter him" to death as he said he was grabbed by the head and neck, and pushed downwards.

Cross-examining Amaaz on Friday, Paul Greaney KC said: "You were, in simple terms, resisting the attempts of these officers to arrest you?"

Amaaz said: "If those officers wanted to detain me they could have simply told me so."

Mr Greaney said: "What did you think they were coming in to do? To come in and murder you?"

Amaaz said: "These officers had come and literally forced me straight into the ticket machine. They didn't give me a second to think.

"My brother intervenes because this officer is trying to force me down to the ground."

Mr Greaney told jurors that Amaaz went on to kick Pc Marsden as he struggled with Amaad and that Amaaz then punched Pc Cook to the face.

He said: "You knew full well you were punching a woman."

"No," said Amaaz.

Mr Greaney said: "You didn't realise she was a woman?"

Amaaz said: "That's correct."

Mr Greaney told the court that CCTV footage next showed the defendant strike Pc Cook with his elbow and knock her cap off.

He said: "She has got long blonde hair in a ponytail, I ask you to acknowledge that you knew you were delivering blows to the face of a woman?"

Amaaz said: "I didn't know that at this stage."

Mr Greaney pointed out to Amaaz that he was looking straight in the direction of Pc Ward when he then punched her to the face and broke her nose.

He said: "Can I invite you to acknowledge that you knew obviously she was a woman, a woman with long red hair?"

Amaaz said: "Not at this moment, no.

"This has happened so quickly. It is a matter of seconds."

Mr Greaney said: "I want to try to understand the basis for which you seek to justify punching that woman in the face. Is it your position she was trying to murder you?"

Amaaz said: "A police officer had struck me I thought. I was trying to protect myself."

Mr Greaney said: "Is it your position that Pc Ward was part of a group that was trying to murder you?"

Amaaz said: "She was part of that group. I believed Pc Marsden tried to kill me."

Mr Greaney said: "Do you still believe that now?"

"Yes," said the defendant.

Mr Greaney said: "The prosecution case is there was absolutely nothing defensive in punching that woman (Pc Ward) in the face. It was offensive and unlawful, and you were wholly out of control."

Amaaz said: "No."

Mr Greaney said footage showed Pc Cook approach Amaaz to detain him because of his violence.

Amaaz said: "No, she literally came running at me with her hands raised towards my face. I felt any second now this officer is going to attack me and I needed to protect myself."

Mr Greaney said: "Did you also think Pc Cook was intent on killing you?"

Amaaz said: "At this point I thought this officer is going to attack me. I didn't think she would kill me."

Mr Greaney said: "At your feet is an injured officer and she (Pc Cook) is coming towards you with her hands open. It was obvious she wanted to detain you and stop you committing any further violence."

Amaaz said: "I was not looking at her face."

Mr Greaney told the defendant that the footage showed Pc Cook "flinching away" from a punch that was about to land.

He said: "Please will you acknowledge that the officer you are about to strike you knew was a woman?"

"No," said Amaaz.

Mr Greaney said: "Do you agree that your violence knocked her to the ground?"

Amaaz said: "Yes, I struck her."

The prosecutor said: "This is the second woman you have hit to the floor within seconds."

"Yes," said Amaaz.

Mr Greaney said: "All of this violence was offensive and entirely unlawful."

Amaaz said: "That's wrong."

Mr Greaney said: "All of those 12 blows were against people you knew virtually from the outset were police officers, that's what you did that day?"

Amaaz said: "I didn't know from the start.

"These were police officers who were attacking me and my brother again and again, trying to kill us.

"This lunatic (Pc Marsden) booted me in the head and stamped on me,

"If that's not enough he elbowed my mother in the face with a Taser.

"And if that's not enough he punched my brother in the back of the head twice."

Amaaz agreed with Mr Greaney that following his arrest he made no comment in his police interview.

Mr Greaney said: "The reason you didn't say anything is because you had not yet made it up."

The defendant replied: "That's wrong."

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 of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals.

Amaad is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm.

Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations.

The trial continues on Monday.