MANCHESTER AIRPORT ALTERCATION: Prosecution Dropped Against Brothers After Two Hung Juries

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has officially abandoned its efforts to prosecute two brothers accused of a violent assault on a male police officer during the highly controversial Manchester Airport incident in July 2024.

The decision to completely halt proceedings comes after two separate trials ended with hung juries, leaving the state unable to secure a verdict regarding the specific charges of assaulting Police Constable Zachary Marsden.

The Decision to Halt the Third Trial

Brothers Muhammad Fahir Amaaz, 21, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, had both vehemently denied charges of inflicting a high level of violence on PC Marsden, maintaining throughout that their actions were entirely in self-defence.

Following the collapse of a second consecutive trial in recent weeks due to a deadlocked jury, the presiding judge and the CPS concluded that pursuing a third criminal trial was no longer viable. Authorities cited that a further trial would not be in the public interest, noting the immense financial burden already incurred by British taxpayers over the course of the protracted legal battle.

Background: The July 2024 Altercation

The charges arose from a chaotic and deeply violent clash at a Manchester Airport car park ticket machine on 23 July 2024. Greater Manchester Police officers had initially responded to reports of an assault on a civilian. When officers attempted to detain Muhammad Fahir Amaaz, who matched the suspect’s description, a fierce struggle erupted.

While the prosecution regarding PC Marsden has now been dropped, legal experts note that Muhammad Fahir Amaaz does not escape justice entirely. In a separate trial held last year, Amaaz was convicted of other offences committed during the exact same fracas. He was found guilty of assaulting the initial civilian victim, as well as two female police officers—PC Ellie Cook and PC Lydia Ward, the latter of whom sustained a broken nose in the brawl.

The Viral Video and the ‘Two-Tier’ Justice Debate

The incident originally became a massive national flashpoint after mobile phone footage went viral globally. The clip captured the shocking moment PC Marsden appeared to stamp on and kick the head of a grounded Muhammad Fahir Amaaz during the arrest, triggering immediate public outrage, street protests, and swift condemnation from senior politicians.

However, the narrative shifted significantly when subsequent CCTV footage was released. Law enforcement advocates pointed out that the viral mobile phone video only commenced after the initial violence had taken place. The full CCTV footage revealed that the officers had been subjected to a sudden and brutal physical assault by the brothers prior to the mobile phone recording starting.

The collapse of the case has reignited fierce political debate regarding British policing and the concept of “two-tier justice.” Critics argue that the knee-jerk political condemnation of the officers—fueled by the racial dynamics of the viral video—created a toxic environment for frontline staff. Conversely, police defenders argue that executing arrests against violently resisting suspects is inherently dangerous, and that officers require institutional support rather than immediate political abandonment before the full facts emerge.

While the brothers now face no further legal jeopardy concerning PC Marsden, the Manchester Airport case remains a stark textbook example of how viral media, modern policing, and political public relations collide in the digital age.