Two brothers involved in a violent clash at Manchester Airport will not face a third trial for allegedly assaulting an armed officer, after two hung juries failed to reach a verdict and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) deemed a third trial legally impermissible. The incident from July 2024, which began with a video showing Police Constable Zachary Marsden kicking a prone man and sparked protests, ended with the brothers acquitted on that charge while one brother still faces prison for injuring two female officers.

Why 'extreme gravity' barred a third trial

Prosecutor Paul Greaney told the court that while the case was serious and had drawn immense public scrutiny, it did not meet the legal threshold of 'extreme gravity' required to justify an exceptional third trial, according to the CPS decision . That standard is reserved for cases where a conviction is all but certain and the public interest overwhelmingly demands a retrial—neither condition was met here, the source reports. The two juries at Liverpool Crown Court had been unable to agree on whether Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and Muhammad Amaad, 26 , assaulted PC Marsden, leading to the deadlock.

From Black Lives Matter protests to leaked CCTV: a shifting narrative

Initial outrage focused on footage showing PC Marsden delivering a kick to the head of a prone man, which activists linked to racial profiling and police brutality, prompting protests using Black Lives Matter signage and calls to defund the police. However, the source reports that leaked CCTV footage days later revealed PC Marsden and two female colleagues had been violently attacked seconds before the kick, reframing the public debate. That broader context—the brothers' alleged assault on three officers—became the basis for the subsequent charges, though only one brother was fully convicted for those earlier attacks.

One convicted of assaulting PC Lydia Ward, both acquitted in the Marsden charge

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz was found guilty of causing actual bodily harm to PC Lydia Ward—breaking her nose—and of assaulting PC Ellie Cook, according to evidence presented in the initial trial. muhammad Amaad was convicted of no charges related to the female officers,and both brothers were formally found not guilty of assaulting PC Marsden after the CPS offered no further evidence . Judge Flewitt confirmed the end of proceedings for Muhammad Amaad, while noting that Mohammed Fahir Amaaz is expected to receive an immediate prison sentence next month for his other convictions.

Will PC Marsden face internal discipline? GMP remains silent

The brothers' lawyer,Aamer Anwar, called for the officers involved—including PC Marsden—to face their own accountability through the CPS or Greater Manchester Police (GMP), describing the kick as a 'rugby style' attack by a highly trained professional. Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson expressed disappointment that the prosecution's case was not fully endorsed by the juries but said GMP respects the court's findings and accepts the outcome. However , as the source notes,no announcement has been made regarding any internal investigation or disciplinary review of PC Marsden's actions, leaving a key accountability question unresolved.