Bury teenager who put detective in chokehold during police interview jailed

Muhammad Zakir Arif, 18, was arrested after he was found in a taxi with a large knife

Muhammad Zakir Arif
Author: Liam ArrowsmithPublished 10th Sep 2024

A teenager from Bury who put a detective in a chokehold during a police interview has been jailed for three years.

Architecture student Muhammad Zakir Arif, 18, lunged at the male officer as he was questioned on suspicion of being involved in terrorism offences.

He had been arrested a day earlier on February 06 when he was stopped travelling in a taxi as a passenger and was found to be in possession of a Zombie-style knife and a machete in a rucksack.

Prosecutor Joe Allman told Manchester Crown Court that Arif made comments associated with radical Islamism during his arrest and at the subsequent interview.

He said Arif put up a "significant struggle" when arrested as he kicked out at officers and shouted "Allahu Akbar", meaning "there is no God but Allah", the court heard, and other words in Arabic.

Arif went on to say: "I would rather die than waste my life in here.

"I only had those in my bag because I like weapons, I wasn't going to do anything.

"Do you want to know why you'll all be getting bombed? It's like kicking a rabid dog with you bombing Iraq.

"After a while, the dog will bite back and that bite will be your bomb."

When interviewed the following day by counter-terrorism officers he said "I just want to say say one thing..." and then spontaneously jumped from his chair, said Mr Allman.

Arif shouted "Dawlat al Islam baqiyah", which translates as "the Islamic State is remaining", and repeatedly punched the male detective to the head and body, the court was told.

The defendant was forced into a corner but managed to place the detective into a headlock and squeeze his neck before other officers rushed to the assistance of their colleague who was later sent home to recover from pain to his neck and shoulders.

Arif also refused to give police the access codes to two recovered iPhones which had been requested on grounds of national security.

He claimed "uncovered" images of his wife were on the devices but the Crown noted he was not in fact married.

Arif, of Harrington Close, was on bail at the time of his arrest after he was convicted months earlier of two robberies and an attempted robbery in January 2023.

One of the robberies against a 17-year-old boy was committed at knifepoint and filmed on mobile phone by an associate, the court was told.

In July, Arif pleaded guilty to assaulting the detective causing actual bodily harm and intentionally strangling him.

He also admitted two counts of possessing a bladed article in a public place and two counts of failing to comply with a statutory notice issued under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) 2000.

Arif was not charged with any terrorism offences.

On Monday he was sentenced to two and a half years custody at a young offender institution for the knifepoint robbery which Judge Patrick Field KC described as an "appalling and deplorable incident" in which he chased his victim and made him beg for forgiveness.

Arif received a six-month consecutive custodial term for the "wholly unprovoked" assault on the police officer and was handed concurrent sentences for the remaining offences.

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