Officer Attacked at Airport: Attacker Jailed

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, received a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence on Friday for assaulting two police officers at Manchester Airport. The attack occurred on the evening of July 23, 2024, as PCs Lydia Ward and Ellie Cook responded to a disturbance in Terminal 2. Amaaz resisted arrest and assaulted the officers, leaving PC Ward with a broken nose and concussion, and PC Cook with an injured jaw. Both officers, with eight years of service at Greater Manchester Police, shared impact statements detailing the profound effects on their careers and personal lives.

PC Ward described feeling blindsided and petrified during the unprovoked assault, recalling the attacker looking directly into her eyes before striking her. She has since undergone surgery for her nose and carries a scar as a permanent reminder. PC Cook recounted her vision going black and managing to deploy her taser after witnessing PC Ward's attack. She expressed fear about what might have happened had she not intervened and stated that Amaaz's actions had cost her the ability to serve in firearms duties, an impact she will never forget.