A man who assaulted two female police officers at Manchester Airport in a high-profile case back in 2024 has now been jailed.
PCs Lydia Ward and Ellie Cook – who each have eight years of experience and service at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) – were part of a team of officers based at Manchester Airport who responded to a report of a headbutt in Terminal 2 on the evening of 23 July 2024.
When officers went to arrest the man, named as 21-year-old Mohammed Fahir Amaaz from Rochdale, he initially resisted before turning and attacking police.
During the shocking incident, PC Ward – an unarmed officer – suffered a broken nose after being subjected to actual bodily harm by Amaaz, while PC Cook, who was armed, suffered an injured jaw after being assaulted.
Many may remember that a short clip of the incident – which was recorded by a bystander – went viral after it was uploaded to social media without any wider context, leading to the officers involved becoming subjected to online abuse and condemnation.
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A CCTV image of the brawl in action / Credit: CPS
PC Ward described the whole situation as ‘so confusing’.
“I have never seen anyone so violent,” she added in a victim impact statement. “I have never been so scared. It was utterly terrifying.”
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PC Cook explained that she was left ‘traumatised by the incident’, adding: “I hate that we were judged by everyone. We were just doing a job – we were trying to protect the public.”
Last week (Friday 26 June), Amaaz appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where he has sentenced to three and a half years in jail for his role in the incident.
Speaking on the sentencing, GMP’s Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson commented: “This incident began after a man was headbutted in a public place in front of his family.
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“Our officers were responding quickly to precisely the sort of outrageous criminal behaviour that rightly offends the public. In undertaking their duties, officers were met with resistance and violence, followed by online vilification, condemnation and adverse commentary from those who did not have the full facts.
Read more:
Rochdale man, 20, found guilty of assaulting police officers at Manchester Airport
“It is vital that officers get the respect and support they deserve for routinely putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the public.
“Assaults on police officers are sadly all too common – 35 of my officers are assaulted every week across GM – and such incidents can never be justified.”
Featured Image – GMP
Crime
Four people named and charged in relation to wildfires near Dovestone Reservoir
Emily Sergeant
Four people have been charged in relation to the devastating wildfires near Dovestone Reservoir over the summer.
They have also been publicly named by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) as Tyler Warburton, Toby Wilde, Jake Eyre, and Lyreec Bryan-Gavin, all aged between 18 and 22-years-old.
The four men have each been charged with arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, while Wilde and Eyre have also been charged possession of class B (cannabis) on top of that.
They have all been bailed ahead of a scheduled court appearance on 25 February 2027 at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court.
These follow the arrest and subsequent charging of 20-year-old Shania Care-Slede, from Hyde.
Care-Slede had been charged with aggravated arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered, and dangerous driving, and was remanded in custody before appearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 14 July.
The charges relate to the blaze that broke out on the evening of Saturday 11 July at the popular beauty spot in Oldham – prompting a major multi-agency response, with fire crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) working around the clock in challenging conditions to contain the fire and prevent further spread across the moorland.
Specialist wildfire resources, command support units, drone technology, and partner agencies were also been deployed as operations continued across multiple sectors of the incident.
To make matters worse, ‘strong’ winds carried smoke across parts of Greater Manchester – with reports of haze and the smell of burning being received from areas well beyond the immediate vicinity of the fire.
Officers are continuing to pursue a number of lines of enquiry, and are seeking to identify any other individuals who may have been involved by appealing to the public.
Can you help? Anyone with footage or information that may assist the investigation can submit it via the Dovestone Fire Evidence Submission Portal here.
Featured Image – Emma Renly (via Unsplash)
Crime
Six teenage boys arrested following stabbing of 13-year-old in Rochdale town centre
Emily Sergeant
Six teenage boys have been arrested following the stabbing of a 13-year-old in Rochdale town centre over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that officers were called out to reports of a ‘serious assault’ near the Riverside Shopping Centre in central Rochdale on Saturday (29 August), and when they arrived on the scene, they found that a 13-year-old boy had been stabbed.
The young boy currently remains in hospital receiving treatment, while a police investigation into the incident is open and ongoing.
Two teenage boys were first arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article on the same day the incident occurred (29 August), but have since been released on bail.
Officers then made four further arrests yesterday (31 August), again all teenage boys who were arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article, with enquires ongoing.
A Section 60 and 60AA ‘stop and search’ authority was introduced in Rochdale town centre following the recent incidents in area and following reports of youths carrying weapons in the locality, and this has now been extended to 3pm today (Tuesday 1 September).
“This was a serious and sustained attack that could have had far more tragic consequences,” explained Detective Superintendent, Richard Hunt .”Our team of experienced detectives is working around the clock to understand exactly what happened, identify all those involved, and secure the strongest possible evidence.
“We will relentlessly pursue every lead available to us and will leave no stone unturned in bringing all those responsible before the courts.
“Community safety remains our absolute priority, and we are committed to ensuring those who seek to bring violence onto our streets are held fully accountable for their actions.”
Can you help? Anyone who witnessed the incident, was in the town centre at the time, or has any mobile phone, CCTV, or dashcam footage, is urged to come forward and speak to police on 101, quoting log 2750 of 29/08/2026, or using the LiveChat function on the GMP website.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
29th June 2026 
