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BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
'US murder plot suspect Aimee Betro was in UK for birthday'
An American woman said to have been involved in a failed assassination attempt in the UK said she was in England to celebrate her Betro told Birmingham Crown Court she visited the UK about two weeks before the shooting in September 2019 and while there she won tickets for a boat party in 45, is said to been involved in a plot to attack a family. The court has heard she disguised her appearance with a niqab when she tried to shoot Sikander Ali outside his Birmingham home but left when the gun jammed. She allegedly later returned and fired shots into his denies conspiracy to murder and possessing a firearm with intent. She also denies the illegal importation of jury has been told the alleged plot to kill Mr Ali had been orchestrated by co-conspirators Mohammed Aslam, 56, and Mohammed Nabil Nazir, 31, of Elms Avenue in Derby. Ms Betro told the court she had slept with Nazir at an Airbnb during a visit to the UK spanning December 2018 and January also said she did not meet Nazir, who she said she had feelings for, during a second visit to the UK in May said her first two UK visits had seen her doing "touristy" things such as attending music third visit, arriving at Manchester Airport from Atlanta about two weeks before the shooting, had been to celebrate her her evidence, she was asked about messages between her and Nazir which referred to a gun broker website and a said she did not remember the message referring to a broker but told the court she had posted "gaming things" relating to an an old gaming prosecution said that Ms Betro returned to the scene hours after the shooting and fired three shots into Mr Ali's house, which was empty at the time, before leaving the UK and flying back to the US the next court heard father and son Aslam and Nazir were involved in a feud with Mr Ali's father, Aslat was sentenced to 32 years' imprisonment and Mohammed Aslam was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for conspiracy to murder back in trial continues. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Bungling hitwoman tried to frame a rival by posting gun parts and ammunition from the US but police found her fingerprints on parcels, court hears
A would-be hitwoman posted ammunition and gun parts from the US as part of a plan to frame a rival, a court heard. Aimee Betro, 45, allegedly tried to disguise her appearance and used a fake name when sending three packages containing parts for an AR15 type assault riffle and ammunition wrapped in foil. Betro sent the items to try to get a man arrested after fleeing the UK in the wake of a botched murder attempt, jurors were told. She is said to have donned a niqab and a burka tried to shoot dead a Birmingham shopkeeper outside his home in September 2019. The gun jammed and the victim, Sikander Ali, 34, was able to escape in his car but she returned hours later to fire three bullets through the window of his family home, Iit is alleged. Betro, originally from Wisconsin, is said to have been acting on the bequest of two co conspirators Mohammed Nazir, 30, and his father Mohammed Aslam, 56, from Derby, who have already been tried and convicted over the plot. The two men were involved in a 'vendetta' clothes shop owner called Aslat Mahumad, whose son was Sikander Ali. Both men lived at an address in Measham Grove, South Yardley where Betro allegedly tried to murder Mr Ali and where she fired bullets through the window. Betro denies three charges of conspiracy to murder, possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and a charge related to the alleged importation of ammunition into the UK. On the second day of her trial at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday, prosecutor Tom Walkling said Betro returned to the US the day after the botched shooting. Nazir followed afterwards and spent a month in the US before returning to the UK when he was arrested. He and his father have both been convicted of conspiracy to murder and while Nazir was also convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Bot have been jailed. Mr Walkling said Betro was not part of that trial as she was living in Armenia and did not return to the UK until January this year. 'That is the reason why she is being tried separately,' he said. The prosecutor said that while Nazir was in the US and in the days following his return he involved Betro in 'another of his plots to get revenge on a rival'. This time the target was a man from Derby called Faris Quayum. Jurors were told Nazir arranged for the three packages to be sent, then called the police 'tip them off' that Mr Quayum was receiving these parcels. Mr Walkling told the court the plan initially worked, the parcels were intercepted, and Mr Quayum was arrested. 'But Nazir's role in framing eventually came to light,' he said. Police later found Betro's DNA on the parcels, which were sent on October 16, 2019, when Nazir was back in the UK, the court heard. Mr Walkling said: 'We say that Aimee Betro was the person who sent those parcels. She may not have known the full extent of Nazir's devious scheme, but when she sent prohibited ammunition into the UK, she broke the law.' Pictures of the post office from where the parcels were sent were shown to the court. Jurors were also shown CCTV from the post office which shows woman who was 'keen to hide her identity'. Mr Walkling said: 'We say that woman is this defendant, Aimee Betro.' She used the name Michael Chandler when posting the items, the court heard. On Monday, jurors were shown CCTV footage of the moment the would be assassin tried to shoot Mr Ali. Mr Walkling told jurors Betro will deny being the person with the firearm and claims someone else sent the packages. Mr Walkling said: 'We say the evidence in this case against Aimee Betro is compelling, is strong. She was the would-be assassin on the 7th September 2019 .... and again she was the person who furthered another of Nazir's vendettas when she sent ammunition to the UK as part of his plan to frame Mr Quayum.' The trial continues.
The Sun
22-07-2025
- The Sun
Moment US ‘hitwoman wearing burka disguise tries to shoot dead Birmingham shop owner in botched assassination plot'
SHOCKING footage shows the moment a US "hitwoman" is accused of trying to kill a shop owner while wearing a "burka disguise". Aimee Betro, 45, was allegedly involved in a plot that saw Aslat Mahumad threatened with a firearm that jammed in South Yardley, Birmingham, a court heard. 11 11 11 The American denies conspiracy to murder, the possession of a firearm with intent and the illegal importation of ammunition, Birmingham Crown Court was told. Betro allegedly flew in from Wisconsin in the United States as part of the plot, the court heard. She is accused of conspiring with Mohammed Nazir, 31, and his father Mohammed Aslam, 56, to murder Aslat and members of his family between August 21 and September 10 2019. Tom Walkling KC, for the prosecution, said the botched assassination attempt was the culmination of a long-running 'vendetta' involving the family of Aslat. The prosecution claimed that Betro, having bought a Mercedes earlier that day, lay in wait in the vehicle outside Aslat's family home in Measham Grove, Birmingham. Birmingham Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of an incident in South Yardley in September 2019. Sikander Ali, Aslat's son, was caught on camera arriving home in his black SUV. The video then shows a person wearing a face covering, who the prosecution said was Betro, pulling out a firearm and approaching Ali before the gun jammed at point-blank range. Ali then quickly reversed his SUV off the road, clipping the door of the Mercedes and damaging it so it would not close. After the botched assassination attempt, Betro allegedly returned to the property in a taxi and fired three times at the house, smashing several windows. Mr Walkling added: "On the seventh of September 2019 in a suburban cul de sac in South Yardley a would-be assassin tried to shoot a man called Sikander Ali at close range outside his house. "The assassin was a woman who tried to disguise her appearance by wearing a niqab - a face covering - and what looked like a burka." 11 The firearms offence is alleged to have been committed on September 8 2019, while the ammunition smuggling charge relates to a period between September 12 and October 23, 2019. She later dumped the Mercedes and police found a black glove with Betro's DNA inside, the court heard. "Further proof if any was needed ... that she was the gunwoman in the burka," Mr Walkling claimed. Six minutes later she was again caught on CCTV shown to the jury from close to where the car was dumped wearing a summer dress, hoodie and flip flops and carrying two bags. Mr Walkling added that 'revenge was the motive' after Nazir and Aslam were injured during a disorder at Aslat's clothing boutique in Birmingham in July 2018, which led them to conspire to have someone kill him or a member of his family. Betro was extradited from Armenia and arrested at Gatwick Airport earlier this year by National Crime Agency officers, the jury was told. Betro's two co-conspirators, Mohammed Nazir and his father, Mohammed Aslam both from Derby, were convicted and jailed last year. Both were convicted of conspiracy to murder while Nazir was also convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Horror moment gunman opens fire during pub brawl and shoots landlady as she tries to break up fight Betro, appeared in the dock on Monday wearing black glasses, a maroon top and a colourful beach shirt with bright pink Converse trainers. The American, whose hair was styled in two "pace buns" on top of her head, denies all charges against her. Betro is also accused of sending a text to Ali's father which said: 'Where are you hiding? … Stop playing hide and seek' and 'Come and meet me, I'm at Asda,' the court was told. Mr Walkling said: 'This case is about three incidents. An attempted shooting of a man outside his home, the shooting of bullets through the windows of that home, and the posting of illegal bullets from the USA to the UK." Mr Walkling said Betro was in contact with Nazir before she flew to Manchester Airport in August 2019. He said Betro had two phones - a normal "day to day" phone which she used regularly - and a "dirty phone" - bought before the shooting. Jurors were told that on August Betro also went to Birmingham and hired a Mercedes C Class car from Enterprise at Birmingham Airport. The car was later involved in a three car collision in Derby with Mohammed Nazir and another woman. Both later received insurance payouts, the court heard. She then stayed at a hotel in Derby for two nights before travelling to London and Brighton before returning to Birmingham and then back to Derby. The court was played a video clip - from Nazir's phone - showing a gun being fired into the ground three days before the attempted shooting in Birmingham which prosecutors said was a bid to "test" the weapon. The trial is expected to last four weeks. 11 11 11
BBC News
21-07-2025
- BBC News
Woman on trial over Birmingham shop owner murder plot
A would-be assassin wearing a niqab tried to shoot a man at point-blank range in Birmingham as part of a "violent" feud involving two families, a court has Aimee Betro, 45, denies conspiracy to murder, the possession of a firearm with intent and the illegal importation of Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of an incident in South Yardley in September 2019 in which a person wearing a face covering pulled out a firearm before the gun jammed, and the intended victim was able to trial is expected to last four weeks. Opening the case for the prosecution, Tom Walkling KC told jurors that Ms Betro had been involved in a conspiracy with two other men as part of their vendetta against a Birmingham businessman, Aslat Mahumad. Mr Walkling said "revenge was the motive" after Mohammed Nazir and Mohammed Aslam were injured during disorder at Mr Mahumad's clothing boutique in July Betro is alleged to have flown from Wisconsin as part of a plot to have someone kill Mr Mahumad or a member of his family and flew back to the US days after the failed Nazir, 31, and his father, Mohammed Aslam, 59, both from Derby, were convicted and jailed last year. The court heard Mr Mahumad was believed to be the target of the attempted shooting on September 7 2019, with Ms Betro lying in wait outside the family home in a car she bought earlier that jury was shown CCTV of his son, Sikander Ali, arriving home and a person with their face covered approaching him and firing the gun at point-blank it jammed, Mr Ali managed to escape by reversing his SUV out of the road, clipping the car door and damaging it so badly it would no longer is claimed Ms Betro returned to the scene in a taxi in the early hours of 8 September and fired three shots through the windows of the empty family to this alleged return visit, the jury were told she had sent messages to Mr Mahumad, which included: "Where are you hiding?" "Stop playing hide and seek, you are lucky it jammed."The trial continues. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment American 'hitwoman' disguised in burka 'tried to shoot dead' Birmingham shop owner before gun jammed
This is the moment an American hitwoman dressed in a niqab and a burka tried to shoot dead a Birmingham shopkeeper outside his home, a court heard. Video footage shown to jurors allegedly shows Aimee Betro, 45, approaching her intended victim as he arrives home in a car but her gun jams and he is able to speed away. Hours later Betro returned to the victim's home and fired three shots through the window, Birmingham Crown Court was told. Betro, originally from Wisconsin, appeared in the dock on Monday wearing black glasses, a maroon top and a colourful beach shirt with bright pink Converse trainers. Her hair was styled in two 'space buns' on top of her head. She denies three charges of conspiracy to murder, possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and a charge related to the alleged importation of ammunition into the UK. Opening the case, Tom Walking KC, prosecuting said: 'On the seventh of September 2019 in a suburban cul de sac in South Yardley a would-be assassin tried to shoot a man called Sikander Ali at close range outside his house. 'The assassin was a woman tried to disguise her appearance by wearing a niqab - a face covering - and what looked like a burka.' He told jurors the gun jammed but she was 'not deterred' and 'returned to the same address on the same cul-de-sac a few hours later and used the now working gun to shoot three bullets through the bedroom windows of the victim's home.' The court was told her two co conspirators Mohammed Nazir, 30, and his father Mohammed Aslam, 56, from Derby, had already been tried and convicted over the plot. Both have been convicted of conspiracy to murder and possessing while Nazir was also convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Mr Walking said Betro was in contact with Nazir before she flew to Manchester Airport in August 2019. Mr Walking said Betro had two phones - a normal 'day to day' phone which she used regularly - and a 'dirty phone' - bought before the shooting. Mr Walking said the motive for the murder was 'revenge'. He said Nazir and Aslam were involved in a 'vendetta' with a family in Birmingham, specifically a clothes shop owner called Aslat Mahumad, whose son was Sikander Ali. Both men lived at an address in Measham Grove, South Yardley where Betro allegedly tried to murder Mr Ali and where she fired bullets through the window. The court heard that in July 2018 there was a disorder at Mr Mahumad's clothes shop which resulted in damage to the premises and Nazir, Aslam, and Aslat Mahumad all getting injured. Mr Walking said: 'This is the background to the shooting and attempted shooting outside Aslat Mahumad's house the following year, and the only connection we have between Nazir and Aslam and the family who lived at that address in Measham Grove.' Jurors were told that on August Betro went to Birmingham and hired a Mercedes C Class car from Enterprise at Birmingham Airport. The car was later involved in a three car collision in Derby with Mohammed Nazir and another woman. Both later received insurance payouts, the court heard. She then stayed at a hotel in Derby for two nights before travelling to London and Brighton before returning to Birmingham and then back to Derby. The court was played a video clip - from Nazir's phone - showing a gun being fired into the ground three days before the attempted shooting in Birmingham which prosecutors said was a bid to 'test' the weapon. Mr Walking said: 'It's a firearm that fires the same calibre of ammunition that police recovered from outside the victim's home a few days after this video was made.' The 'metadata' for the clip shows it was created on September 4, 2019, the day Betro was in Derby and three minutes before Nazir added Betro's snapchat details into his phone. Mr Walking said to jurors: 'You have to ask your self was Betro there with Nazir testing this gun? Other CCTV footage from Rotunda hotel in Birmingham shows Betro in a summer dress, hoodie, rucksack and flip flops. While at the hotel on September 6 she phoned Aslat Mahumad, claiming she wanted to buy the car he was selling online. Mr Walking said: 'Mr Mahumad recalls being called by a woman with an American accent... He was confused, as he hadn't listed his number online. 'The woman said she wanted to buy the car today, but Mr Mahumad said she could see it tomorrow. 'As I'm sure you have guessed, ladies and gentlemen, we say the woman with the American accent was this defendant, Aimee Betro, and that she was calling Mr Mahumad as a pretext to set up a chance to kill him. And who else could it be? she had the phone she bought it only hours before.' Later that night she met up with Nazir, who went with her to her hotel room where they ordered food on Deliveroo before he travelled back to Derby with his father in their transit van. The following day she tried to kill Aslat Mahumad's son, jurors were told. The court heard she left the hotel and bought another cheap mobile phone and SIM card - all caught on CCTV. Betro at Tesco on New Street, not far from where she was staying. She bought a mobile phone voucher, an Alcatel mobile phone, and a SIM card. She later called a man selling used Mercedes E240 from his garage, Rock Cars, in Alum Rock. Mr Walking told jurors: 'He sold it to someone he described, perhaps unkindly, as a short, fat woman, who spoke with an American accent, wore a summer dress, and had a bag over her shoulder. 'Helpfully you can see still images of what Betro wore when she went out that day. A fitting if unflattering match to the description [he] gave.' He said the car was later driven to Measham Grove, the scene of the shooting. He said: 'It's the car in which the would-be assassin waited, and its the car from which she emerged to try and kill Sikander Ali.' Jurors were told that when buying the car she gave the name 'Becky Booth' and a false address. Mr Walking said Becky was a 'nom de guerre' that Betro used again later that day when booking a taxi after the botched shooting. After buying the car she called Mr Mahumad once again on the pretext of looking at a car. Mr Mahumad said he couldn't meet, and that she could meet someone else with the car the next day. Later that day she met with Nazir and Aslam with mobile phone data showing her dirty phone connected to Nazir's wireless network - known as a 'hotspot'. The Mercedes was later seen at the entrance to Measham Grove. Mr Walking said the driver 'appears to be wearing a face-covering, a niqab'. He said at 7.22pm hours, Betro drove onto Measham Grove and waited for her target. He said she waited for more than 45 minutes. At 9.10pm Sikander Ali pulled onto Measham Grove in his black SUV which was all caught on camera. In video footage played to the court, a woman which the prosecution said was Betro, can be seen approaching the SUV and firing but the gun jams. Mr Ali is able to reverse away at speed, clipping the Mercedes' door as he does. The court was told the collision bent the the door badly enough that it wouldn't close, and Betro had to drive away with the door half open. She later dumped the Mercedes. Police found a black glove with Betro's DNA inside. 'Further proof if any was needed ... that she was the gunwoman in the burka',' Mr Walking said. Six minutes later she was again caught on CCTV shown to the jury from close to where the car was dumped wearing a summer dress, hoodie and flip flops and carrying two bags. 'There is no doubt that is Betro,' Mr Walking said. She later called a taxi to take her back to the hotel, a recording of which was played to the jury. The caller had a distinct American accent and used the name 'Becky'. CCTV, also shown to the jury, shows her returning to the Rotunda, still wearing the same summer dress and flip flops. She left the hotel an hour and 10 minutes later having changed her outfit to trousers with white stipes down the side and black Converse trainers. Betro then sent text messages to her intended target, the court was told. Screenshots of the texts were shown to the jury. She said to him: 'Where are you hiding? followed by 'Stop playing hide and seek you are lucky it jammed'. Betro then called another taxi to take her back to Measham Grove. Jurors were show CCTV of a figure matching Betro's description firing three shots in to the family home. 'Ladies and gentlemen the gun didn't jam that time did it?' Mr Walking said. 'Did you note, the hoodie, and the handbag worn across her body, just as Betro was dressed earlier. 'Three shots were fired. Three bullets went through the windows of Aslat Muhamad's family home. Three bullet casings were found in the street outside.' Jurors were shown pictures of the damage the bullets caused. Mr Walking said: 'Two went through the bay window on the left. The other went through the bedroom window on the right.' Mr Walking said Betro then got back into the taxi and during the journey she sent a text message to Mr Mahumad which said: 'you wanna rip me off you wanna be a drug king go look at your house watch your back i'll be shedding blood'. She flew back to the US the following day from Manchester Airport. Nazir flew out to join her three days later. The trial continues.
