An American woman who disguised herself in a niqab whilst attempting to murder a Birmingham shop owner has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after a dramatic international manhunt spanning three continents.
Aimee Betro, 45, from Wisconsin, was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday after being convicted of conspiracy to murder, possessing a self-loading pistol and fraudulently evading the prohibition on importing ammunition. The would-be assassin showed no emotion as Judge Simon Drew KC handed down the lengthy sentence, with concurrent terms of six years for the firearm offence and two years for the ammunition charge.
The graphic design graduate flew 4,000 miles from America to execute Sikander Ali outside his Yardley home on 7 September 2019, but her assassination attempt failed when her handgun jammed at the crucial moment, allowing the terrified victim to escape in his car.
International Love Affair Turned Deadly
The extraordinary case began when Betro met Mohammed Nabil Nazir, 31, on a dating app in late 2018, embarking on a transatlantic romance that would culminate in attempted murder. The Wisconsin native first visited Britain on Christmas Day 2018, staying with Nazir at an Airbnb in London before returning to America the following month.
“I accept that Nazir recruited you, but you were the gunwoman,” Judge Drew told Betro during sentencing, noting she appeared to be “acting out of infatuation or love.”
Prosecutor Tom Walkling KC revealed that Nazir and his father Mohammed Aslam, 56, orchestrated the revenge plot following a violent altercation at victim Aslat Mahumad’s Birmingham clothing boutique in July 2018. The dispute over a wedding suit had left both men injured and seeking vengeance against the shop owner’s family.
Meticulous Planning Behind Failed Hit
Court evidence showed Betro’s careful preparation for the assassination attempt. She landed at Manchester Airport on 22 August 2019, posting tourist photographs on social media to maintain her cover story. West Midlands Police later discovered she had travelled to Derby on 4 September, where CCTV captured her test-firing the murder weapon on wasteland with Nazir.
The hitwoman booked into Birmingham’s Rotunda Hotel and purchased burner phones for communication. On the morning of the attack, she bought a second-hand Mercedes E240 using the false name “Becky Booth” before driving to Measham Grove in Yardley.
Detective Chief Inspector from West Midlands Police described the plot: “I think this is a carefully planned, persistent, murderous plot. It’s unbelievable to me that that would be conceived without careful lengthy planning.”
Dramatic CCTV Footage Captures Failed Assassination
Security cameras recorded the chilling moment Betro, wearing a full-face niqab to conceal her identity, approached Mr Ali as he exited his black SUV at approximately 8.10pm. The footage showed her raising the firearm and pulling the trigger at point-blank range, but the weapon malfunctioned.
“It is only a matter of chance that Mr Ali wasn’t killed,” Judge Drew stated, describing how the victim managed to reverse at high speed, clipping Betro’s Mercedes door as he fled.
Undeterred by the failure, Betro returned hours later in a taxi and fired three shots through the windows of the Ali family home, which was fortunately empty at the time. She then sent taunting text messages to the victims, including “Stop playing hide and seek, you’re lucky it jammed” and “Where are you hiding?”
Five-Year International Manhunt
Following the botched assassination, Betro fled Britain on 9 September 2019, returning to America before eventually settling in Armenia. The subsequent manhunt involved collaboration between West Midlands Police, Derbyshire Constabulary, the FBI, and the National Crime Agency.
A breakthrough came when the Daily Mail newspaper tracked Betro to a one-bedroom flat on the outskirts of Yerevan, Armenia’s capital. Background details in her Instagram selfies and sunset photographs taken from her window helped investigators pinpoint her location to a gated housing complex.
This was a complex investigation and extradition process which required bringing together multiple agencies including the National Crime Agency and Armenian courts,” explained John Sheehan, head of the CPS Extradition unit.
Arrest and Extradition Battle
Armenian police executed a dawn raid on 3 July 2024, acting on an international arrest warrant issued by British authorities. The fugitive was detained without incident and appeared in an Armenian court two days later.
During her time in hiding, Betro had brazenly responded to friends’ messages about media coverage of the case, writing: “It’s a f****** s*** show” and complaining about “misinformation” whilst acknowledging she “had a part” in the conspiracy.
She was extradited to Britain in January 2025, arriving at Gatwick Airport under the custody of specialist National Extradition Unit officers.
Defence Claims and Jury Verdict
During her three-week trial, Betro attempted to explain away the overwhelming evidence by claiming the real shooter was “another American woman” with a similar voice and footwear. She insisted her presence near the crime scene was “just a terrible coincidence” and that she had travelled to Britain to celebrate her 40th birthday and attend a boat party.
The jury of six men and six women deliberated for almost 21 hours before returning guilty verdicts, two by an 11-1 majority. Specialist Prosecutor Hannah Sidaway OBE commented: “Only Betro knows what truly motivated her or what she sought to gain from becoming embroiled in a crime that meant she travelled hundreds of miles from Wisconsin to Birmingham to execute an attack on a man she did not know.
Judge’s Damning Assessment
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Drew emphasised the severity of Betro’s crimes: “You went beyond simply reaching an agreement to kill and, in reality, you did intend to kill Mr Ali. 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.”
The judge noted that Betro had played a “leading role” as the gunwoman and highlighted that “this was a conspiracy to murder more than one person,” referencing the threat to multiple family members.
Defence barrister Paul Lewis KC urged leniency, noting Betro would find incarceration particularly difficult as “all her family and friends are in America.” He added that she had been a “model prisoner” during her 198 days on remand in Armenia and had expressed remorse in a letter to the court.
Co-conspirators Already Sentenced
Nazir and Aslam were convicted of conspiracy to murder in November 2024. Nazir received 32 years whilst his father was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Both men, from Elms Avenue in Derby, had denied wrongdoing but were found guilty after a separate trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
The case has highlighted concerns about international criminals exploiting global travel to commit violent crimes. Detective teams praised the successful collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies across three continents.
As Betro begins her three-decade sentence in a British prison thousands of miles from home, the case serves as a stark warning about the consequences of international assassination plots and the determination of authorities to pursue fugitives across borders.
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