Shaha Amran Miah

Shaha Amran Miah, aged 49 from Leeds, was one of three brothers convicted at Preston Crown Court for a series of heinous sexual offences against vulnerable children. The brothers, described by Judge Ian Unsworth KC as paedophile predators who acted 'in plain sight', targeted five girls ranging in age from six to 15 in Leeds and Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Their offending spanned from 1996 onwards, beginning with the sexual abuse of two young girls aged six and seven in Leeds, which continued for several years.

The court heard that the brothers, part of a larger family with 10 other siblings, moved to Barrow around 2008 to work in a family-owned takeaway. This establishment became a 'hub of criminality', where vulnerable teenage girls, often still in school uniforms, were picked up and taken to rooms above the shop. There, they were plied with alcohol, drugs, cash, and cigarettes before being subjected to sexual assaults on 'scabby beds'. Amran Miah was found guilty of 16 offences, including seven counts of indecent assault, seven counts of indecency with a child, one count of rape of a child, one count of kidnapping, two counts of witness intimidation, and one count of sexual assault.

• Amran Miah's involvement included raping a 15-year-old girl who was in a relationship with his brother Alman Miah.
• In late 2009, he threatened the same victim after she spoke to police, grabbing her by the hair, shoving her into a car, and warning that she 'would be dead' if she continued. He also threatened her family, claiming reprisals from the Pakistani community in Barrow.
• Additionally, Amran Miah intimidated a woman scheduled for a police interview in 2010 by threatening to set her house on fire, which prevented the interview from taking place.

Judge Unsworth, passing sentence, stated: 'I am satisfied each of you acted in a predatory and paedophilic manner. You saw your victims as vehicles to be used and abused at will. You treated them with utter contempt.' He highlighted the brothers' strong family bonds and an 'omerta' of silence, noting they prioritised loyalty over truth during the trial, where prosecutors dubbed them 'Team Miah'. The judge emphasised that their actions stripped the victims of their childhoods. The investigation was commended to officers from Cumbria Police and West Yorkshire Police. Victims reacted with gasps and sobs in the public gallery as sentences were announced. The trial concluded in October, with sentencing occurring four months later in February 2025.