An American woman accused of attempting to murder a man in Birmingham has told a jury she flew to Britain to celebrate her birthday and attend a boat party. Aimee Betro, 45, denies being part of an assassination plot that allegedly saw her disguise herself in a niqab before trying to shoot Sikander Ali outside his home.
The Wisconsin resident is alleged to have been recruited by Mohammed Aslam, 56, and Mohammed Nabil Nazir, 31, both of Derby, as part of a conspiracy to attack a rival family on September 7, 2019. Birmingham Crown Court heard the gun allegedly jammed when Betro tried to shoot Mr Ali at point-blank range in Measham Grove, allowing him to escape.
Defence claims innocent visits
Giving evidence on Monday, Betro told the court she had visited the UK three times between December 2018 and September 2019. She said her first trip involved staying at an Airbnb with Nazir, whom she had met on a dating app and communicated with via Snapchat.
During her second visit in May 2019, Betro claimed she did not meet Nazir despite having "feelings for" him. She described her activities during the first two visits as "touristy", including attending music events, viewing street art in east London and visiting a friend in Birmingham.
Birthday celebration claims
Asked about her third visit, arriving at Manchester Airport from Atlanta around two weeks before the shooting, Betro told jurors she came "to celebrate my birthday and I won tickets for another boat party in London". She also mentioned wanting to attend "another little festival that was at Crystal Palace".
Standing in the witness box wearing a navy blue top and square-rimmed glasses, the 5ft 5ins defendant described Nazir as "charming" and "sweet". However, she said she was not trying to build a relationship with him because they lived in different countries.
Messages about weapons
During questioning, Betro was asked about messages between her and Nazir which referred to a gun broker website and a silencer. She said she did not remember the message about a broker but claimed she had posted "gaming things" relating to an old gaming system.
The court heard Betro lived in West Allis, Wisconsin, from 2013 to 2019 and held degrees in early childhood education and graphic design. She denies conspiracy to murder, possessing a self-loading pistol and fraudulently evading the prohibition on importing ammunition.
Alleged return to scene
The Crown alleges that Betro returned to the scene hours after the failed shooting and fired three shots into Mr Ali's empty house before leaving the UK the next day. Father and son Aslam and Nazir, who were jailed last year for their part in the alleged plot, were said to be involved in a feud with Mr Ali's father, Aslat Mahumad.
Jurors heard that Nazir and Aslam had been injured during disorder at Mr Mahumad's clothing boutique in Birmingham in July 2018. This allegedly led them to conspire to have someone kill him or a member of his family.
The trial continues.
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
