A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison following an assault on two female police officers at Manchester Airport. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz was convicted last year of causing actual bodily harm to PC Lydia Ward during an incident in July 2024 that drew widespread attention after footage circulated on social media. He was also found guilty of assaulting PC Ward’s Greater Manchester Police colleague, PC Ellie Cook, and of attacking a member of the public at a Starbucks near the airport.

The attacks took place after Amaaz and his 26-year-old brother, Muhammad Amaad, went to the airport to collect their mother from a flight. According to prosecutors, police responded to reports of a man matching Amaaz’s description who had headbutted Abdulkareem Ismaeil inside the Starbucks café. Amaaz alleged that Ismaeil had racially abused his mother while she was on the plane.

Following police arrival, Amaaz resisted officers’ efforts to escort him outside and reportedly used a high level of violence against them during the encounter in a nearby car park pay area. PC Ward, who suffered injuries in the assault, described Amaaz’s actions as “cowardly.”

Amaaz’s brother was present during the incident but was not charged. The sentencing took place at Liverpool Crown Court, where the judge imposed a custodial sentence reflecting the seriousness of the assaults on law enforcement personnel and a member of the public. The case highlights ongoing concerns about attacks on police officers in the line of duty.