Samreen Akhtar: Barrister Jailed 3 Years for GBH Plot

• Barrister Samreen Akhtar was sentenced to three years and three months imprisonment at Manchester Crown Court.
• She was convicted of encouraging or assisting the inflicting of grievous bodily harm with intent.
• The plot involved Akhtar conspiring with her client, Tabish Ali, to seriously injure an individual responsible for shooting Ali.
• Akhtar, previously recognized for social mobility advocacy, was recorded proposing the violent plan the day after her client was shot.

The conviction and sentencing of Samreen Akhtar for her involvement in a GBH plot serve as a stark warning regarding the severe consequences of a legal professional engaging in criminal activities.

Samreen Akhtar, a former barrister, who has been suspended by the Bar Standards Board and faces disbarment, has received a custodial sentence of three years and three months following her conviction for involvement in a violent plot. The legal professional was found guilty of encouraging or assisting the inflicting of grievous bodily harm with intent, an offense that carries significant penalties.

The sentencing occurred this week at Manchester Crown Court, bringing to a close a case that saw a barrister jailed for conspiring with a client. This outcome underscores the severe repercussions for legal professionals who deviate from their ethical obligations and engage in criminal activities. The plot involved Akhtar and her client, a career criminal, planning to cause serious injury to an individual, highlighting a critical ethical breach within the legal profession.

The conspiracy originated after Akhtar's client, Tabish Ali, a known career criminal, sustained a gunshot injury on September 14, 2021. Police reports indicate this incident was part of an ongoing violent feud between rival drug gangs. The very next day, September 15, 2021, a telephone conversation between Akhtar and Ali was recorded, during which Akhtar proposed a scheme to locate the person responsible for the shooting with the explicit intention of causing them serious physical harm.

Authorities arrested Akhtar in February 2022, subsequently charging her with encouraging or assisting the inflicting of grievous bodily harm with intent, an offense that carries a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Despite pleading not guilty, a jury at Manchester Crown Court convicted her by a majority verdict after a five-day trial held in June of this year. Her sentencing then occurred on Monday.

The case of Samreen Akhtar represents a profound ethical breach within the legal profession, particularly given her prior standing. Just two years before her criminal actions, in 2020, the Bar Council recognized her as one of ten Social Mobility Advocates, an initiative aimed at enhancing representation at the bar for individuals from state-educated and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Her professional journey also included diverse roles before becoming a barrister, working in banking, insurance, and with the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department. She later secured a pupillage at the Crown Prosecution Service, indicating a background steeped in the justice system. Detective Inspector Paul Hutchinson of West Yorkshire Police underscored the gravity of Akhtar's actions, stating that as a professional within the criminal justice system, she would have been acutely aware of her legal and moral obligations.

He emphasized that she deliberately chose to disregard these responsibilities, instead plotting revenge with a dangerous criminal involved in a gang feud that had already seen the brutal execution of a rival, for which her client was later convicted. This barrister misconduct transformed her into a criminal, demonstrating a complete disregard for the standards expected of legal professionals and the detrimental impact of gang-related violence on communities.

The conviction and sentencing of Samreen Akhtar for her involvement in a GBH plot serve as a stark warning regarding the severe consequences of a legal professional engaging in criminal activities. The charge of encouraging or assisting the inflicting of grievous bodily harm with intent carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, underscoring the seriousness with which such offenses are viewed by the justice system.

This incident, where a barrister was jailed for client revenge, highlights the critical importance of maintaining professional integrity and ethical duties within the legal field. It demonstrates that no individual, regardless of their professional standing, is above the law, and that involvement in legal professional criminal conspiracy, especially those involving violence, will lead to significant penalties, including disbarment and imprisonment.

The case of Samreen Akhtar at Manchester Crown Court is a powerful reminder of the trust placed in legal professionals and the profound breach of that trust when individuals use their position to facilitate or encourage criminal acts. It reinforces the message that upholding the rule of law is paramount, and any deviation carries severe personal and professional repercussions.

This case serves as a critical reminder for legal professionals regarding the severe criminal and professional consequences of engaging in illegal activities with clients, particularly those involving violence. It underscores the paramount importance of upholding ethical duties and maintaining professional integrity to avoid disbarment and imprisonment.

Source: Original reporting via Legal Cheek