Full Name 15 May 1932 Name Joseph Beltrami Nationality Scottish-Italian | Other names Joe Beltrami Occupation Lawyer Titles Advocate | |
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Died February 24, 2015, Glasgow, United Kingdom Spouse Delia Beltrami (m. 1959–2015) Books A Deadly Innocence: The Meehan File, The Defender Children Adrian Beltrami, Edwin Beltrami, Jason Beltrami | ||
Joseph Beltrami (15 May 1932 – 24 February 2015) was a Scottish lawyer of Italian-Swiss descent. He is acknowledged as one of the top advocates in Scotland.
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Early life and family
Born in Rutherglen, the son of an Italian-Swiss father and Scottish mother, Beltrami was brought up in Glasgow and educated at St. Aloysius' College and the University of Glasgow.
Career
Beltrami was involved in several high-profile cases, including the campaign for the release of Patrick Meehan. He defended such names as Johnny Ramensky, Colin Beattie and gained the first ever Royal Pardon issued in Scotland defending Maurice Swanson.
He successfully defended Glasgow crime figure Arthur Thompson on many occasions throughout the 1980s, leading to the phrase "get me Beltrami" being coined as a plea for help in desperate circumstances amongst Glaswegians during the time.
Beltrami also successfully defended in 12 capital murder cases.
Personal life
Beltrami had three sons who have all entered the legal profession. Edwin is the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Wales, Adrian is a QC specialising in commercial litigation, and Jason is a lawyer in Glasgow. He died, aged 82 on 24 February 2015.