Teenager put detective in chokehold during police interview, court told

A court heard Muhammad Zakir Arif made comments associated with radical Islamism during his arrest and at the subsequent interview.

General view of Manchester Crown Court (Dave Thompson/PA) (PA Archive)

A teenager assaulted a detective constable during a police interview and put him in a chokehold as he shouted “Allahu Akbar”, a court has heard.

Architecture student Muhammad Zakir Arif, 18, from Bury, Greater Manchester, 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 6 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” and also “La ilaha ilallah” – meaning “there is no God but Allah” – 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.

In mitigation the court heard that Arif had been “struggling with his mental health for some time” but that various character references had been provided which referred to the “positive relationship” he enjoyed from his “supportive family”.

He has continued to refuse to hand over the access codes to the two mobile phones.

Following sentencing, Detective Superintendent Andy Meeks, head of investigations for Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said: “Machetes and zombie knives have no place on our streets so we’re pleased that two dangerous weapons have been seized and will be destroyed.

“However, his offending didn’t stop after his arrest and he would go on to repeatedly flout a legal order, refuse to answer questions, and violently attack somebody as they tried to do their job.

“Thankfully the detective has fully recovered and returned to work, having been closely supported by colleagues across the team.

“We welcome the sentence imposed by the judge today.”