US national Aimee Betro jailed for 30 years over failed Birmingham assassination

Summary

US national Aimee Betro is jailed for 30 years for trying to kill her lover's rival in a bungled shooting in the UK six years ago
The 45-year-old, from Wisconsin, was convicted of conspiracy to murder earlier this month
CCTV footage captured two attempted shootings, as Betro tried to make up for her failed attack on 7 September 2019
The court heard it followed a feud involving two families from Birmingham and Derby
Betro's trial was told she tried to shoot the son of Aslat Mahumad at point-blank range, but the gun jammed
Mohammed Aslam and his son Mohammed Nazir from Derby were jailed in November over the murder plot
Betro was extradited to the UK from Armenia earlier this year

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Betro's attempted shooting caught on CCTV

Live Reporting

Edited by Rebecca Woods, with reporting from Vanessa Pearce and Will Jefford, and David Lumb in court

What happened during the trial?published at 10:17 British Summer Time 21 August

Image source, West Midlands Police
During the trial, jurors were told that Aimee Betro had been involved in a conspiracy with two men - Mohammed Aslam and his son Mohammed Nazir - as part of their vendetta against Birmingham businessman Aslat Mahumad.
Prosecutors said revenge was the men's motive after Nazir and Aslam were injured during disorder at Mr Mahumad's clothing boutique in July 2018.
However, Betro's gun jammed when she fired at at point blank range at the son of the rival businessman during the attempt in September 2019, the court heard.
The 45-year-old returned to the scene in a taxi in the early hours of the following day and fired three shots through the windows of the empty family home. She fled the UK the day after.
Betro was found guilty by a majority 11-1 verdict on the conspiracy to murder and firearm charges, and by a unanimous verdict on the ammunition charge.
Sentencing gets under waypublished at 10:11 British Summer Time 21 August

The sentencing has just got under way in courtroom four at Birmingham Crown Court, in Newton Street.
The barristers for the prosecution and defence will make their submissions to Judge Simon Drew KC, referring to sentencing guidelines and aggravating and mitigating features that they believe he should take into account when determining the sentence.
A court log states that the length of the hearing is estimated to be one hour, so we may get the sentence at about 11:00 BST today.
'A fairly unexceptional individual'published at 10:03 British Summer Time 21 August

Betro, a childhood development and graphic design graduate from the US city of West Allis, has been described as "fairly unexceptional" with virtually no "criminal footprint".
The path of how she ended up agreeing to be a contract killer is not fully clear.
Image source, West Midlands Police
Det Ch Insp Alastair Orencas from West Midlands Police's major crime unit said: "On the face of it, a normal-looking individual [but] prepared to do an outrageous, audacious and persistent murder."
The trial heard she had previously met Nazir via a dating app and slept with him at an Airbnb in London's Kings Cross during a visit to the UK between December 2018 and January 2019, although it remains unclear how she came to be hired to carry out the shooting.
Live updates on the sentencing of would-be assassin Aimee Betropublished at 09:54 British Summer Time 21 August

Good morning - and welcome to our live updates on the sentencing of Aimee Betro.
The 45-year-old from Wisconsin flew to the UK only for her gun to jam during an assassination attempt while she was wearing a niqab.
Earlier this month Betro was convicted of conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm with intent and being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of ammunition.