Samreen Akhtar, a 38-year-old barrister, has been sentenced to three years and three months in prison after a jury found her guilty of encouraging or assisting grievous bodily harm with intent. The conviction stems from a plot to retaliate against an individual who had shot her client, Tabish Ali, during a drug turf war in Huddersfield.
Akhtar's involvement began after Ali was injured in a shooting on September 14, 2021. The following day, she was recorded in a phone conversation with Ali discussing a plan to locate and seriously injure the person responsible for the attack. Police believed this shooting was connected to a long-standing feud that had led to numerous incidents of violence in the area.
Tabish Ali, described as a career criminal, was already deeply involved in the gang feud. Weeks after the revenge plot involving Akhtar, Ali was charged with the murder of Jamal Nedd, who had been shot and killed in December 2020. Ali was later convicted of murder alongside two other men in July 2022 and received a life sentence.
Akhtar was arrested in February 2022 and subsequently charged under the Serious Crime Act 2007. She maintained her innocence but was convicted by a majority verdict following a five-day trial in June. Detective Inspector Paul Hutchinson of West Yorkshire Police stated that Akhtar, as a legal professional, should have been aware of her responsibilities but chose to act outside them, collaborating with a dangerous criminal involved in severe violence.
Akhtar's conviction represents a significant downfall for a lawyer who had previously championed social mobility and encouraged aspiring barristers from minority backgrounds to enter the legal profession. She had spoken publicly about her working-class upbringing and her journey to the Bar, emphasizing her efforts to overcome obstacles for women from minority backgrounds.