American woman denies Birmingham shopkeeper murder plot
An American woman has denied plotting to murder a Birmingham shop owner and members of his family.Charges faced by Aimee Betro, 45, follow events in the South Yardley area of the city in September 2019 in which, police said, a man was threatened at gunpoint.Appearing via video link at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday, Ms Betro spoke only to enter three not guilty pleas to charges of conspiracy to murder, possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and a separate charge related to the alleged importation of ammunition into the UK.A trial is due to begin on 21 July.
Betro, originally from the US state of Wisconsin, had been extradited from Armenia after being arrested there last summer.The conspiracy charge covers a period ranging between 21 August and 10 September 2019, while the firearms offence is alleged to have been committed on 8 September of the same year.The ammunition smuggling charge relates to a period between 12 September and 23 October.Ms Betro, wearing glasses and a striped casual long-sleeved top, appeared sitting behind a desk in a prison video booth during the 12-minute hearing.She was remanded into custody ahead of a pre-trial review hearing set for 3 April.
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Suspect in fatal shooting of politician pictured as cops find 'manifesto'
The suspect in the fatal shooting of an American politician has been pictured for the first time. Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her spouse were shot and killed early Saturday in their Brooklyn Park home. A second state politician, Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, were shot multiple times in Champlin. Both shootings were described as "targeted political violence" by Minnesota governor Tim Walz. As investigations continue and police search for the gunman responsible for the attacks on the Democratic legislators, two people familiar with the matter identified the suspect being sought as 57-year-old Vance Boelter. The people could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said writings found inside a fake police car recovered at one of the shooting scenes mentioned the names of multiple politicians - including both Hortman and Hoffman - and other officials. "When we did a search of the vehicle, there was a manifesto that identified many lawmakers and other officials. We immediately made alerts to the state. We took action on alerting them and providing security where necessary," said Mr Bruley.
South Wales Argus
3 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
US state politician and husband killed in ‘targeted' attacks on two Democrats
A second state politician, senator John Hoffman, and his wife were shot and wounded in the 'targeted' attack near Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Saturday, said governor Tim Walz. I've activated the State Emergency Operations Center. Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them. We are monitoring the situation closely and will share more information soon. — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) June 14, 2025 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,' Mr Walz said at a press conference on Saturday. 'Those responsible for this will be held accountable.' Mr Hoffman, a Democrat, was first elected in 2012 and runs Hoffman Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm. He previously served as vice-chairman of the Anoka Hennepin School Board, which manages the largest school district in Minnesota. Mr Hoffman is married and has one daughter. Ms Hortman was the top house Democratic leader in the state legislature and a former house speaker. She was first elected in 2004. A police officer sets up a perimeter with tape near the scene of the shooting in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP) Both Mr Hoffman and Ms Hortman represented districts located north of Minneapolis. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said that authorities were actively searching for a suspect. Post-mortem examinations will be carried out to determine extent of injuries, but Ms Hortman and her spouse died from gunshot wounds, Mr Evans said. Public safety commissioner Bob Johnson said the suspect was posing as a law enforcement officer. He said: 'Suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms, what our uniforms are meant to represent. That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honour and responsibility.' Law enforcement officers including local police, sheriffs and the FBI at the scene (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP) The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated during a time of deep political divisions. Giffords, the national gun violence prevention organisation led by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released the following statement. 'I am horrified and heartbroken by last night's attack on two patriotic public servants,' Ms Giffords said. 'My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well. An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself. 'Leaders must speak out and condemn the fomenting violent extremism that threatens everything this country stands for.' Ms Giffords was shot in the head in 2011 by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 others. She stepped down from congress in January 2012 to focus on her recovery.
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
US state politician and husband killed in ‘targeted' attacks on two Democrats
A second state politician, senator John Hoffman, and his wife were shot and wounded in the 'targeted' attack near Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Saturday, said governor Tim Walz. I've activated the State Emergency Operations Center. Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them. We are monitoring the situation closely and will share more information soon. — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) June 14, 2025 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,' Mr Walz said at a press conference on Saturday. 'Those responsible for this will be held accountable.' Mr Hoffman, a Democrat, was first elected in 2012 and runs Hoffman Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm. He previously served as vice-chairman of the Anoka Hennepin School Board, which manages the largest school district in Minnesota. Mr Hoffman is married and has one daughter. Ms Hortman was the top house Democratic leader in the state legislature and a former house speaker. She was first elected in 2004. A police officer sets up a perimeter with tape near the scene of the shooting in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP) Both Mr Hoffman and Ms Hortman represented districts located north of Minneapolis. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said that authorities were actively searching for a suspect. Post-mortem examinations will be carried out to determine extent of injuries, but Ms Hortman and her spouse died from gunshot wounds, Mr Evans said. Public safety commissioner Bob Johnson said the suspect was posing as a law enforcement officer. He said: 'Suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms, what our uniforms are meant to represent. That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honour and responsibility.' Law enforcement officers including local police, sheriffs and the FBI at the scene (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP) The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated during a time of deep political divisions. Giffords, the national gun violence prevention organisation led by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released the following statement. 'I am horrified and heartbroken by last night's attack on two patriotic public servants,' Ms Giffords said. 'My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well. An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself. 'Leaders must speak out and condemn the fomenting violent extremism that threatens everything this country stands for.' Ms Giffords was shot in the head in 2011 by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 others. She stepped down from congress in January 2012 to focus on her recovery.
