Aimee Betro, aged 45, from Wisconsin, USA, stands trial at Birmingham Crown Court where she denies conspiracy to murder
17:44, 21 Jul 2025Updated 19:46, 21 Jul 2025
CCTV images of Aimee Betro and a photo of her passport shown to a jury at Birmingham Crown Court
A ‘would-be assassin’ from America ‘botched’ a murder shooting in Birmingham while wearing a niqab and burka disguise, a court has been told.
Aimee Betro allegedly pointed a gun at Sikander Ali only for it to jam outside his home in Measham Grove, Yardley, on September 7, 2019, it was alleged.
The 45-year-old from Wisconsin, America, then returned a few hours later and blasted the address three times, the prosecution said.
TRIAL BLOG: Live updates as US national Aimee Betro stands trial over Birmingham shopkeeper murder plot
Betro stands trial at Birmingham Crown Court where she denies conspiracy to murder and possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
She has also pleaded not guilty to an offence related to the importantion of ammunition from the USA to the UK.
A copy of Aimee Betro’s passport was shown to Birmingham Crown Court
Prosecutor Tom Walkling KC, opening the case, said: “This is a case about three incidents. The attempted shooting of a man outside his home.
“The shooting of bullets through the window of the same home and later the posting of illegal bullets, ammunition, from the USA to the UK.
“On the evening of September 7, 2019, on 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 home.
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“The assassin was a woman who disguised her appearance by wearing a niqab, a face covering, and what looked like a burka, full body covering.”
He continued: “She had waited for someone to go into that house. When they did she pulled out a gun, a pistol of some sort, and pulled the trigger.
“She was only metres away from the intended victim. But the gun jammed, failed to fire, and the attempt to murder that man Sikander Ali failed.”
Aimee Betro pictured in the UK
“But the gunwoman wasn’t deterred. She 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 prosecutor told the jury that father and son Mohammed Aslam and Mohammed Nazir, from Derby, have already been convicted of conspiracy to murder, adding that Betro was the ‘third member’ of the plan.
Mr Walkling stated the intended target of the conspiracy was actually Mr Ali’s father Aslat Mahumad.
He explained the motive for the attack had been ‘revenge’ following an incident at Mr Mahumad’s clothes shop, Noreens Saher Boutique, in Birmingham, in July 2018 in which he, Aslam and Nazir were all injured.
The jury was told Betro had been in contact with Nazir since December 2018, and ultimately flew from the United States to Manchester on August 22, 2019.
Aimee Betro pictured in the UK
Mr Walkling detailed her various alleged movements in the UK including travelling to London and Brighton.
He stated she was also involved in a ‘crash for cash’ scam in Derby with co-conspirators Aslam and Nazir before the attempted hit in Birmingham.
The court heard Betro drove a recently purchased but used Mercedes into Measham Grove, Yardley around 7.22pm on September 7 and waited for 45 minutes before Mr Ali arrived in a black SUV.
Mr Walkling said: “When Sikander Ali pulled up he opened his door, he got out and the woman in the Mercedes, who we say is Aimee Betro, at exactly the same time disguised in a niqab and burka got out and immediately went up to Sikander Ali, holding what is clearly a firearm, a gun in her hand.
“The gun didn’t fire. It jammed, just like the gun in the video we saw earlier taken in Derby three days before.
“Mr Ali reversed his car at speed. As the SUV passed the Mercedes trying to flee it clipped the open door of the Mercedes.
“You will hear a delayed bang after the tyres squeal. It bent the door of the Mercedes so badly that Betro couldn’t close it. When she drove away the door was still open.”
Playing CCTV footage of the incident he added: “The more you watch it the more it becomes clear what that was. That was a botched shooting.”
It was alleged Betro ditched the damaged Mercedes nearby with members of Mr Mahumad’s family finding it shortly afterwards and retrieving a black glove which had her DNA inside.
The jury was told Betro returned to her hotel at The Rotunda, which she used as her ‘base’, and later text Mr Mahumad saying: “Stop playing hide and seek you are lucky it jammed.”
The moment shots are fired at a home in Yardley in September 2019
The prosecutor stated that shortly after 1am in the early hours of the following morning, September 8, Betro returned to Measham Grove and fired three shots at Mr Ali’s address.
CCTV captured three loud bangs quickly followed by the sound of dogs barking.
Mr Walkling said: “The gun didn’t jam this time did it.”
He added that Betro flew out of the UK from Manchester the next day, September 9, with Nazir following her out of the country to the States three days later.
The trial continues.
