US hitwoman jailed for 30 years over bungled plot

Jurors deliberated for almost 21 hours before convicting Aimee Betro of conspiracy to murder

A US woman at the centre of a failed assassination attempt in the UK has been jailed for 30 years.

Aimee Betro, from West Allis in Wisconsin, was hired as a killer as part of a plot to attack a British family in Birmingham, before going on the run for nearly five years.

She approached her victim during the attempt, in September 2019, only for her gun to jam when she pulled the trigger.

The 45-year-old was found guilty of conspiracy to murder, possessing a self-loading pistol with intent to cause fear of violence and illegally importing ammunition after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

In sentencing, Judge Simon Drew KC said Betro played a "leading role" in the assassination attempt, which was carried out alongside Mohammed Aslam and his son Mohammed Nazir.

The two men, from Derby, were jailed for 10 and 32 years respectively for their roles in the plot last year.

The judge said the trio had planned the attempted killing after Nazir and Aslam were injured during a fight at Aslat Mahumad's clothing boutique in July 2018.

Mohammed Aslam, left, and his son Mohammed Nazir were jailed for their roles last year

On 7 September 2019, Betro had parked up outside the house of Birmingham businessman Mr Mahumad and tried to shoot his son Sikander Ali, but the gun jammed.

She returned to the same location hours later, firing three shots into the upstairs window of the South Yardley home.

"You went beyond simply reaching an agreement to kill and, in reality, you did intend to kill Mr Ali," Judge Drew said.

"It is only a matter of chance that Mr Ali wasn't killed.

"You were engaged in a complex, well-planned conspiracy to murder.

"You were prepared to pull the trigger and did so on two separate occasions."

During the trial, jurors were told that Betro, a childhood development and graphic design graduate, met Nazir on a dating app.

The pair formed a close online friendship through text messages and video calls before she visited the UK twice in December 2018 and May 2019.

The court heard that Betro again travelled to Birmingham in August 2019, at which point she had fallen in love with Nazir and as a result had agreed to carry out the killing.

On the day of the attack, Betro bought a second-hand Mercedes under the name Becky Booth before scoping out Measham Grove where the target lived.

She then waited in the cul-de-sac for her victim and disguised herself with a niqab, jurors heard.

She approached Mr Ali and attempted to shoot him from behind, but the gun malfunctioned, allowing him to get back into his car and flee.

Betro escaped but later returned to the road in a taxi before shooting three times at the property.

She then travelled to Manchester Airport where she flew back to the US, the court heard.

Aimee Betro fired three shots through the upstairs window of a house in South Yardley

Following the sentencing, Det Ch Insp, Alastair Orencas of West Midlands Police, said: "This is a unique case which has involved a huge amount of work tracing the movements of Betro from her arrival into the UK, her subsequent failed attempt to shoot a man dead, and her departure from the UK.

"It's by luck that her attempt to kill her target failed, thanks to the jamming of her gun.

"An incredible amount of work went into building up a really detailed picture of her activities while in the UK.

"We worked really closely with partners such as the Armenian Government, (NCA), FBI, Crown Prosecution Service and Derbyshire Constabulary to bring Betro back to the UK to face justice. I'd like to thank all of them for helping to achieve justice."