Nina Grahame KC represents vulnerable defendant in tragic manslaughter case
15 January 2026
Garden Court North’s Nina Grahame KC represented the Defendant during their guilty plea at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester (pictured) on Tuesday (13 January 2026). Credit: John Hewitt / Shutterstock.
Garden Court North’s Nina Grahame KC represented Ms Amelia Ali as an acceptable guilty plea of manslaughter was entered on Tuesday (13 January 2026).
In April 2025, Ms Ali was charged with the murder of her 93-year-old grandmother. Following extensive psychiatric and psychological assessments, all experts agreed that Ms Ali suffered from an enduring and serious mental illness resulting in psychotic delusions at the time of the death.
This case represents yet another tragic situation where complex presentations over many years masked the nature and severity of Ms Ali’s long-term mental illness. As frequently occurs, she ‘self-medicated’ with alcohol and drugs in an attempt to manage the dreadful symptoms of her illness – which remained formally undiagnosed throughout her adult life.
In April 2025, she had been voluntarily and successfully pursuing rehabilitation for alcohol and drug use. However, her mental illness remained untreated, resulting in this catastrophic outcome. All who knew Ms Ali and her grandmother confirmed the bond of deep love and affection that existed between them.
Following the guilty plea, Nina commented: “Far too often, criminal barristers deal with cases where mentally ill individuals commit dreadful acts, but it is only after such a tragedy and their involvement in the criminal process that these individuals receive the diagnoses and treatments that they require to keep themselves and others safe. In so many of these cases, as happened here, the full support of a loving family was still not enough to prevent a tragic outcome.”
Ms Ali’s case is scheduled for sentencing on 12 March 2026.
Nina was part of a criminal defence team with extensive experience in such cases. She led Rebecca Filletti of Lincoln House Chambers, instructed by Nicola Hall of Robert Lizars Solicitors.
Nina and Rebecca have represented several vulnerable female defendants charged with murder whose cases have resolved by a plea to manslaughter, either by reason of diminished responsibility through mental illness or loss of control in the context of PTSD and a history of abusive relationships. These include the cases of Joanna Sharkey, Katie Yeomans, and Kelly Gray.
Additional media
ITV News – Woman admits manslaughter of her grandmother by reason of diminished responsibility
For further information, please contact Alex Blair, Communications Manager at Garden Court North Chambers: ablair@gcnchambers.co.uk
