Miriam Altaf
Miriam is an experienced Solicitor that has two decades of experience in high profile, serious complex crime in the UK. She specialises in cases involving Murder, Serious violence, Firearms, large drugs conspiracies, Encro Chat and Gang Crime. She also advises on Prison Law and Probation Complaints.
She deals with matters from start to finish from the police station, magistrates Court and Crown Court.
Miriam is approachable, down to earth and communicates with clients directly on all cases that she is instructed on. She provides honest, comprehensive advice in order to ensure that clients have realistic expectations in relation to their cases.
Miriam is not a duty Solicitor and works solely on the basis of client recommendations and her outstanding reputation.
She instructs experienced and dedicated barristers to assist with criminal cases. She is known for achieving successful results for both complex and difficult cases.
She has done a number of interviews where she has discussed the type of work that she does: https://youtu.be/05IDJIeldcw
Miriam has secured acquittals for clients facing murder charges each year for the last ten years in the Central Criminal Court and other UK Courts.
Homicide
Miriam represented a well-known UK rapper at the Central Criminal Court who was accused of arranging a shooting when a man was machine-gunned on a street in Harlesden. He was acquitted when the prosecution offered no further evidence during the Trial, after a prosecution witness admitted he had lied and effectively gave him an alibi. The prosecution case - which purported to show the defendant’s car on CCTV near the scene of the shooting - began to collapse when it was shown that the car on CCTV was not the defendants but a different car altogether and cross-examination showed that the cell-site evidence of the night in question was generally consistent with his behaviour in preceding weeks.
Out of the 5 men that were charged with Murder and appeared at the Central Criminal Court. Miriam’s client was the only client that was acquitted
3 defendants were convicted of murder in Northampton Crown Court. Miriam’s client was acquitted of Murder convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter
https://www.northantslive.news/news/northamptonshire-news/four-men-jailed-92-years-6278615
R v Z – Wood Green Crown Court
Miriam’s client was extradited by the UK authorities from Sweden prior to being charged with Murder in relation to a stabbing in Camden, for which he faced life imprisonment. It was successfully argued that the client acted in self defence and he was acquitted of the murder charge. He was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Attempted Murder
R v PB Isleworth Crown Court
Attempted murder. Miriam’s client was less than a foot away from the shooter who fired at point blank range causing life threatening injuries to the complainant’. The case involved cell site analysis of the day’s movements of each defendant. Cross-examined the expert to demonstrated that her client was not co-locating with his co-defendants throughout the day and was subsequently unanimously acquitted.
R v TT Bristol Crown Court
Miriam’s client was facing 20 years imprisonment further to being captured on dashcam with a firearm and accused of shooting the victim twice in daylight. A number of eyewitnesses came forward to give their accounts of the incident. It was submitted that the client was acting in self-defence, when he disarmed the victim who bought the firearm to the scene, where two bullets were accidentally discharged. The client was acquitted of all charges.
Firearms
R v RWS and SC – Kingston Crown Court
Miriam represented two defendants who were charged with possession of firearms and possession of firearms with intent to endanger life, in relation to a shooting incident in Croydon, where a firearm was discharged at a petrol station. Further to making submissions of no case to answer, both clients were acquitted and released from custody.
Liverpool Crown Court
This case involved 24 defendants from Liverpool and Nottingham who were charged with the manufacture and distribution of firearms and ammunition. Miriam represented one of two defendants from Nottingham.
Encro Chat Cases
R v MH – Kingston Crown Court
Miriam represented a client who was initially charged with Importation and Conspiracy to Supply 450 kilos of Class A drugs where ENCROCHAT messages were relied upon as part of the prosecution case. Miriam argued that a number messages involving large drug importations were not composed by her client and simply forwarded on. As a result of this the prosecution agreed to significantly reduce the weight of the drugs that the client was involved with supplying. He was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment.
Drugs
R v JH - Swindon Crown Court
Miriam’s client was accused of being involved in a large conspiracy to supply cocaine. Juror’s took less than 3 ½ hours to acquit him.
R v CC – Taunton Crown Court
The allegation was that the defendant was involved in a long running large scale drugs gang operation, who were moving kilos of Class A drugs from London to Taunton. There was challenging police observation evidence picturing the defendant allegedly involved in the exchange of bags of drugs. The complex cell site data also demonstrated 17 individual return journeys alleged to have been made by the defendant to Taunton co locating with the ‘drugs line’. The matrix of cell site and ANPR evidence data allegedly showed the defendant driving 340 miles in approximately 8 hour round trips and only staying in Taunton for 30 minutes. In total, 5 defendants were accused of being part of this sophisticated conspiracy to supply drugs. Miriam’s client was the only defendant who was acquitted.
Kidnap
R v F
Miriam represented a female client who was charged with kidnap. A male co-defendant was charged with Kidnap, Blackmail and Robbery, who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment further to pleading guilty on the first day of Trial. Miriam’s client was acquitted of all charges after a 7 day Trial.
Affray
R v UA – Nottingham Crown Court
Two defendants were charged with Affray. The co-defendant was also charged with GBH. Miriam’s client was unanimously acquitted. The co-defendant Vincent Hall was convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.
Fraud
R v CT – Southwark Crown Court
Miriam represented a female client charged with being involved in a one million pound fraud, involving 9 defendants. Her client was the only defendant who was acquitted.
Sexual Offences
Miriam represented a GP who was accused of behaving inappropriately towards women on public transport. He vehemently denied all allegations and was acquitted of all charges.