The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced that brothers Muhammad Amaad and Mohammed Fahir Amaaz will not face a third trial over the Manchester Airport brawl, a case that has cost the taxpayer an estimated £2 million and ignited fierce debate over police use of force. After nearly two years, two trials, and endless headlines, jurors could not reach verdicts on whether the brothers assaulted PC Zachary Marsden or acted in lawful self-defence. One brother, Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, has already been convicted of assaulting two female officers and a Starbucks customer and faces sentencing next month; the other, Muhammad Amaad, walks free.

The £2 million cost that halted a rare third trial

According to the CPS announcement, mounting another prosecution would have been prohibitive, with the case already costing taxpayers an estimated £2 million—a figure that does not include police time and resources devoted to the investigation. The decision to drop the case marks an almost unprecedented move: the CPS noted that only once in recent memory, in 2006, has a defendant been tried three times in a similar fashion, when William Dunlop was jailed for life for strangling Julie Hogg. As the CPS reported, the financial and practical burdens of a third trial outweighed the chances of securing a conviction, effectively closing a divisive chapter in Greater Manchester’s legal history.

Why two trials ended in deadlock: missing context and split narratives

The case hinged on what the public saw versus what officers said. The incident began when three officers attempted to arrest the brothers after an altercation with a holidaymaker at Starbucks. A mobile phone clip that went viral showed PC Marsden with his boot on Amaaz’s head as Amaaz lay face down on the ground, but the footage did not show the headbutt or the brothers lashing out at the officers that reportedly preceded that moment. As the source reports, the incomplete video led to hundreds of protesters descending on the GMP divisional HQ in Rochdale, accusing police of brutality akin to George Floyd’s death and alleging ‘two-tier justice’ because of the length of time it took to charge the brothers. Two trials later, juries could not separate the competing claims of self-defence and excessive force, leaving no verdict for the CPS to build on.

PC Marsden’s injuries and the watchdog investigation that continues

Medical reports presented to Liverpool Crown Court showed that PC Zachary Marsden suffered post-concussion syndrome after the brawl, leaving him with speech difficulties, severe headaches, and episodes of dizziness. Yet the firearms officer himself remains under investigation by the police watchdog over his use of force during the incident. As the source notes, PC Marsden could potentially still face criminal charges, even as the brothers’ case concludes. This parallel inquiry means the legal reckoning over the airport brawl is not fully over, and the public still awaits clarity on whether the officer’s actions were justified under the circumstances that unfolded off-camera.

The TikTok lawyer who stoked the fire: Akhmed Yakoob’s polarizing role

Tensions in and outside the courtroom were inflamed by the brothers’ solicitor, Akhmed Yakoob, a colourful and controversial figure known as the ‘TikTok lawyer’ for his videos flaunting a millionaire lifestyle. According to the report, Yakoob initially represented the brothers and amplified public outrage over the video clip, turning the case into a flashpoint for debates about racial bias and police accountability. His involvement raises open questions about the extent to which sensationalised social-media advocacy can influence the trajectory of a criminal case and whether it ultimately helped or hindered the pursuit of justice. With the brothers now out of legal jeopardy—excpt for Mohammed Fahir Amaaz’s upcoming sentencing—the role of the influencer-lawyer in future high-profile cases remains a polarising unknown.