Latest news with #Nazir
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
US citizen denies being present at the scene of 2019 Birmingham murder plot
An American woman has denied any involvement in a failed assassination plot, telling jurors she never had a gun in her possession at any time during her visit to the UK. Aimee Betro is alleged to have flown into Britain and taken part in a plot orchestrated by co-conspirators Mohammed Aslam, 56, and his son Mohammed Nabil Nazir, 31, to attack a rival family in September 2019. The 45-year-old, from West Allis in Wisconsin, told jurors on Tuesday that she did not know there had been an attempted shooting when she left the UK two days afterwards. Prosecutors allege Betro hid her identity using a niqab when she tried to shoot Sikander Ali at point blank range outside his home in Measham Grove, Yardley, Birmingham, but the gun jammed, allowing him to flee. Addressing the evidence against her in chronological order during questioning by defence barrister Paul Lewis KC, Betro claimed she was in Birmingham city centre at the time of the attempted assassination and a follow-up shooting at the intended victim's house hours later. She also maintained that a woman described as having an American accent and being small and fat, who bought a vehicle linked to the plot, was not her. During her second day of evidence to Birmingham Crown Court, Mr Lewis asked Betro: 'In effect the Crown are saying that Mr Nazir or his father got you involved in a plan to kill, and that you were the person who actually wielded the gun?' Betro answered 'it wasn't me' and added that there was no truth in the allegations made against her. Asserting that she had 'no reason or motive' to carry out the shooting and did not know the intended victim's family, Betro said she would have said no if she had been asked to take part in any plot. After viewing CCTV in court and claiming the person seen in the niqab was not her, Betro said she was in Birmingham city centre at the time of the incident. Asked where she was at the time, Betro said: 'I don't really know where but I didn't leave the centre.' At the time of the second gun-related incident, Betro said of her whereabouts: 'I was out with my friend and his friends – my friend that did work with a music streaming service. 'We just went out – just around the centre. I don't really know where we went. I don't know the names.' Betro went on to claim that she did not have possession of a gun at any time during the night of September 7 into the early hours of September 8, when three shots were fired at a house in Measham Grove after a woman arrived there in a taxi. She added that she did not have a gun in her possession at any time while in the UK, which she left via Manchester Airport two days after the attempted assassination. Betro told the jury on Monday that she flew into the country to celebrate her birthday and attend a boat party, having met Nazir on a dating app and having previously travelled to the UK to meet him. The defendant denies conspiracy to murder, possessing a self-loading pistol and a charge of fraudulently evading the prohibition on importing ammunition. The court has heard Aslam and Nazir, who were jailed last year for their part in the assassination plot, were involved in a feud with Mr Ali's father, Aslat Mahumad. Nazir and Aslam, both of Elms Avenue in Derby, had been injured during disorder at Mr Mahumad's clothing boutique in Birmingham in July 2018, jurors have been told, leading them to conspire to have someone kill him or a member of his family. The trial continues.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
US citizen denies being present at the scene of 2019 Birmingham murder plot
An American woman has denied any involvement in a failed assassination plot, telling jurors she never had a gun in her possession at any time during her visit to the UK. Aimee Betro is alleged to have flown into Britain and taken part in a plot orchestrated by co-conspirators Mohammed Aslam, 56, and his son Mohammed Nabil Nazir, 31, to attack a rival family in September 2019. The 45-year-old, from West Allis in Wisconsin, told jurors on Tuesday that she did not know there had been an attempted shooting when she left the UK two days afterwards. Prosecutors allege Betro hid her identity using a niqab when she tried to shoot Sikander Ali at point blank range outside his home in Measham Grove, Yardley, Birmingham, but the gun jammed, allowing him to flee. Addressing the evidence against her in chronological order during questioning by defence barrister Paul Lewis KC, Betro claimed she was in Birmingham city centre at the time of the attempted assassination and a follow-up shooting at the intended victim's house hours later. She also maintained that a woman described as having an American accent and being small and fat, who bought a vehicle linked to the plot, was not her. During her second day of evidence to Birmingham Crown Court, Mr Lewis asked Betro: 'In effect the Crown are saying that Mr Nazir or his father got you involved in a plan to kill, and that you were the person who actually wielded the gun?' Betro answered 'it wasn't me' and added that there was no truth in the allegations made against her. Asserting that she had 'no reason or motive' to carry out the shooting and did not know the intended victim's family, Betro said she would have said no if she had been asked to take part in any plot. After viewing CCTV in court and claiming the person seen in the niqab was not her, Betro said she was in Birmingham city centre at the time of the incident. Asked where she was at the time, Betro said: 'I don't really know where but I didn't leave the centre.' At the time of the second gun-related incident, Betro said of her whereabouts: 'I was out with my friend and his friends – my friend that did work with a music streaming service. 'We just went out – just around the centre. I don't really know where we went. I don't know the names.' Betro went on to claim that she did not have possession of a gun at any time during the night of September 7 into the early hours of September 8, when three shots were fired at a house in Measham Grove after a woman arrived there in a taxi. She added that she did not have a gun in her possession at any time while in the UK, which she left via Manchester Airport two days after the attempted assassination. Betro told the jury on Monday that she flew into the country to celebrate her birthday and attend a boat party, having met Nazir on a dating app and having previously travelled to the UK to meet him. The defendant denies conspiracy to murder, possessing a self-loading pistol and a charge of fraudulently evading the prohibition on importing ammunition. The court has heard Aslam and Nazir, who were jailed last year for their part in the assassination plot, were involved in a feud with Mr Ali's father, Aslat Mahumad. Nazir and Aslam, both of Elms Avenue in Derby, had been injured during disorder at Mr Mahumad's clothing boutique in Birmingham in July 2018, jurors have been told, leading them to conspire to have someone kill him or a member of his family. The trial continues.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
American 'hitwoman' tells court she was too fat to be the 'shooter' caught on CCTV footage
An American woman has denied trying to shoot a man at close range outside his house in a Birmingham cul-de-sac saying she was too fat to be a person caught on CCTV running away afterwards. Giving evidence in court on Tuesday, Aimee Betro, 45, said she was not the woman dressed in a niqab seen attempting to fire a weapon at Sikander Ali. It jammed and he escaped in his car. After being shown footage of the incident showing a figure getting out of a Mercedes and approaching Mr Ali with gun drawn, she was asked by defence barrister Paul Lewis KC: 'Is that you? Betro, in a black top, glasses and with her hair styled in two 'space buns' on the top of her head, replied 'no'. Mr Lewis said: 'Do you know who it is? She replied again 'no'. Betro was also asked about separate CCTV showing a 'slim' figure fleeing after the Mercedes was dumped. Mr Lewis said: 'I'm now going to ask a question a man should never ask a lady, and bearing in mind my own physique, would you describe yourself as slim?' Betro said: 'Not as slim as that person in that...I wouldn't say I was slim.' Betro was the person seen in footage running along a street was too slim to be her Betro, who once studied early childhood education, and is originally from Wisconsin, is accused of disguising her appearance with a niqab before trying to shoot Mr Ali before returning and firing three bullets through the windows of his home in Measham Grove, Birmingham in September 2019. She is said to have travelled from the US to carry out the shooting after being 'recruited' by two co conspirators Mohammed Nazir, 30, who she was 'in love' with, and his father Mohammed Aslam, 56, from Derby, who have already been tried and convicted over the plot. Both have been convicted of conspiracy to murder and while Nazir was also convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. The motive for the murder was 'revenge' as Nazir and Aslam were involved in a 'vendetta' with a Birmingham clothes shop owner called Aslat Mahumad, whose son was Mr Ali. 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. She told Birmingham Crown Court she was in love with Nazir, who she met on a dating app. She had slept with him at an Airbnb during a visit to the UK spanning December 2018 and January 2019. She said she returned to the UK again in August 2019, arriving at Manchester Airport from Atlanta around two weeks before the shooting, to celebrate her birthday and to attend a boat party in London she had won tickets for. Describing Nazir she told the court: 'He was charming and I did like him. He was sweet and I did have feelings for him.' She told the court 'I would guess so' when asked if she thought Nazir had feelings for her, but added that she was not trying to build a relationship with him because they lived in different countries. On Tuesday, she also denied being a woman with an American accent who arranged for a taxi to take her to Measham Grove and of being the woman who bought the Mercedes, who the buyer described as 'short and fat'. Asked about why her DNA was found on a black glove in the Mercedes, she said the only explanation she could think of was when she tried one on to put 'gas' in Nazir's car on an earlier occasion. The court was also told two witnesses described the person seen in Measham Grove after shots were fired through the window as being '6ft' - which Betro said she wasn't. She said she was in the city centre at the time of the shootings with friends she met through a music streaming service. Mr Lewis said to her: 'Whatever grievance Mr Nazir and his father may have had against Aslat Mahumad and his family, did you have any problem with them? Betro said: 'I did not know them.' Mr Lewis said: 'Did you have any reason or motive to shoot Aslat Mahumad of any members of his family? She replied: 'No'. Mr Lewis asked her if anyone had asked her to carry out the shooting, and she said no. He said: 'If they had asked you, what would you answer have been? Betro said: 'I would have said no'. The trial continues.
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
US woman accused of murder plot claims she flew to UK for birthday celebrations
Aimee Betro, 45, is alleged to have flown from Wisconsin as part of a plot orchestrated by co-conspirators Mohammed Aslam, 56, and Mohammed Nabil Nazir, 31, of Elms Avenue in Derby, to attack a rival family on September 7, 2019. A trial has heard allegations that Betro disguised her appearance with a niqab when she tried to shoot Sikander Ali at point blank range outside his home in Measham Grove, Birmingham, but the gun jammed, allowing Mr Ali to flee. Aimee Betro is standing trial at Birmingham Crown Court (PA Archive) Giving evidence in her defence on Monday, Betro, from Wisconsin, told Birmingham Crown Court she had slept with Nazir at an Airbnb during a visit to the UK spanning December 2018 and January 2019. Betro, who denies conspiracy to murder, possessing a self-loading pistol and a charge of fraudulently evading the prohibition on importing ammunition, said she did not meet Nazir – who she 'had feelings for' – during a second visit to the UK in May 2019. In her evidence, Betro said the first two visits had seen her doing 'touristy' things such as attending music events, viewing street art in east London, visiting a friend in Birmingham and taking care of a dog 'at someone's house in the middle of England'. Asked why she had paid a third visit to the UK, arriving at Manchester Airport from Atlanta around two weeks before the shooting, Betro told jurors: 'To celebrate my birthday and I won tickets for another boat party in London. 'And there was another little festival that was at Crystal Palace that I wanted to go to.' Betro's barrister, Paul Lewis KC, asked her what she thought of Nazir after meeting him on a dating app, communicating with him via Snapchat and meeting him in London. Betro answered: 'He was charming and I did like him. He was sweet and I did have feelings for him.' She told the court 'I would guess so' when asked if she thought Nazir had feelings for her, but added that she was not trying to build a relationship with him because they lived in different countries. Standing up in the witness box, Betro, wearing a casual round-necked navy blue top and square-rimmed glasses, began her evidence by giving personal details, including her height as being 5ft 5ins. During her evidence, Betro was asked about messages between her and Nazir which referred to a gun broker website and a silencer. She 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 system. She also told the court she had lived at an address in West Allis, Winsconsin, from 2013 to 2019 and had 'a couple of different degrees' in early childhood education and graphic design. The Crown alleges that 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 day. The court heard father and son Aslam and Nazir, who were jailed last year for their part in the bungled assassination plot, were involved in a feud with Mr Ali's father, Aslat Mahumad. Nazir and Aslam had been injured during disorder at Mr Mahumad's clothing boutique in Birmingham in July 2018, jurors have been told, leading them to conspire to have someone kill him or a member of his family. The trial continues.
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- South Wales Argus
US woman accused of murder plot claims she flew to UK for birthday celebrations
Aimee Betro, 45, is alleged to have flown from Wisconsin as part of a plot orchestrated by co-conspirators Mohammed Aslam, 56, and Mohammed Nabil Nazir, 31, of Elms Avenue in Derby, to attack a rival family on September 7, 2019. A trial has heard allegations that Betro disguised her appearance with a niqab when she tried to shoot Sikander Ali at point blank range outside his home in Measham Grove, Birmingham, but the gun jammed, allowing Mr Ali to flee. Aimee Betro is standing trial at Birmingham Crown Court (PA Archive) Giving evidence in her defence on Monday, Betro, from Wisconsin, told Birmingham Crown Court she had slept with Nazir at an Airbnb during a visit to the UK spanning December 2018 and January 2019. Betro, who denies conspiracy to murder, possessing a self-loading pistol and a charge of fraudulently evading the prohibition on importing ammunition, said she did not meet Nazir – who she 'had feelings for' – during a second visit to the UK in May 2019. In her evidence, Betro said the first two visits had seen her doing 'touristy' things such as attending music events, viewing street art in east London, visiting a friend in Birmingham and taking care of a dog 'at someone's house in the middle of England'. Asked why she had paid a third visit to the UK, arriving at Manchester Airport from Atlanta around two weeks before the shooting, Betro told jurors: 'To celebrate my birthday and I won tickets for another boat party in London. 'And there was another little festival that was at Crystal Palace that I wanted to go to.' Betro's barrister, Paul Lewis KC, asked her what she thought of Nazir after meeting him on a dating app, communicating with him via Snapchat and meeting him in London. Betro answered: 'He was charming and I did like him. He was sweet and I did have feelings for him.' She told the court 'I would guess so' when asked if she thought Nazir had feelings for her, but added that she was not trying to build a relationship with him because they lived in different countries. Standing up in the witness box, Betro, wearing a casual round-necked navy blue top and square-rimmed glasses, began her evidence by giving personal details, including her height as being 5ft 5ins. During her evidence, Betro was asked about messages between her and Nazir which referred to a gun broker website and a silencer. She 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 system. She also told the court she had lived at an address in West Allis, Winsconsin, from 2013 to 2019 and had 'a couple of different degrees' in early childhood education and graphic design. The Crown alleges that 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 day. The court heard father and son Aslam and Nazir, who were jailed last year for their part in the bungled assassination plot, were involved in a feud with Mr Ali's father, Aslat Mahumad. Nazir and Aslam had been injured during disorder at Mr Mahumad's clothing boutique in Birmingham in July 2018, jurors have been told, leading them to conspire to have someone kill him or a member of his family. The trial continues.
