US Citizen Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Murder in Birmingham

Aimee Betro, an American national aged 45, has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder following an incident in Birmingham. According to the Birmingham Crown Court proceedings, she was involved in a plot targeting members of a rival family connected to Mohammed Nazir and his father, Mohammed Aslam. On September 7, 2019, Betro attempted to shoot Sikander Ali, disguising herself in a niqab and wielding a handgun, but her weapon malfunctioned, allowing Ali to escape unharmed.

During her trial, which concluded in Tuesday’s verdict, Betro appeared calm and showed little reaction as she was convicted of conspiracy to murder by an 11-1 majority and for possessing a self-loading pistol aimed at instilling fear. Additionally, she was unanimously found guilty of successfully evading regulations pertaining to ammunition import. The jurors deliberated for nearly 21 hours before announcing their decisions, and Betro, who had lived in Armenia for several years before her arrest, is scheduled for sentencing on August 21.

Betro’s defense lawyer indicated that no pre-sentence reports would be requested, as they wouldn't aid the court's decision-making. Judge Simon Drew KC acknowledged the stress of waiting for the verdict, and upon its announcement, Betro displayed no visible emotion as she was taken into custody. Throughout the trial, it was argued that Betro traveled to the UK deliberately for the assassination attempt related to a violent dispute over business interests. In her defense, she claimed there may have been confusion about the identity of the true assailant, suggesting that another American woman could have been involved. Furthermore, evidence presented to the court revealed that Betro had returned to the scene of the attempted murder later that day, firing shots at the home of Mr. Ali, before fleeing back to the United States the following day.