A BESOTTED hitwoman disguised herself in a burka to murder a shop owner after falling for his rival – but was foiled when her gun jammed.
Aimee Betro was hired by Mohammed Nazir, 30, and Mohammed Aslam, 56, to kill the head of a rival family.
Aimee Betro was captured firing the weapon in the failed assassination attempt
PAThe wannabe hitwoman disguised herself in a burka[/caption]
Social mediaShe has now been convicted over the plot[/caption]
The 44-year-old travelled to Birmingham, West Midlands, and disguised herself under a burka to carry out the contract hit.
Lovestruck Beto had fallen in love with Nazir despite the pair meeting just three times.
But when she pointed the gun at Sikander Ali’s head and pulled the trigger, the weapon jammed and the target was able to flee.
Undeterred, she later went to Sikander’s home and fired three shots before flying back to America.
Betro has now been convicted of conspiracy to murder, possessing a self-loading pistol with intent to cause fear of violence and a charge of illegally importing ammunition following a trial.
Nazir and Aslam were previously jailed for a total of 42 years after they were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.
Birmingham Crown Court heard the pair hatched the plot following a fight at a boutique clothing store in 2018.
Both Nazir and Aslam harboured a grudge against Aslat Mahumad and his family after they came off worse in the scuffle.
Hell-bent on revenge, they enlisted the help of the hitwoman – flying her over from the US so she could execute him or a loved one.
CCTV showed Betro lying in wait outside the shop owner’s family home in a Mercedes she had bought earlier that day.
Around 45 minutes later, Aslat’s son Sikander arrived home – with Betro leaving her car with her face covered.
She was seen firing the gun at point-blank range before it jammed during the September 2019 attack.
Sikander then escaped by reversing his SUV out of the road, clipping the car door of the BMW and damaging it so badly it would no longer close.
After the failed shooting, Betro messaged Aslat asking him where he was hiding.
She added: “Stop playing hide and seek, you are lucky it jammed.”
Betro later returned to the scene in a taxi and fired three shots through the windows of Aslat’s home.
The damaged Mercedes was later found dumped, with cops finding a black glove with Betro’s DNA on it.
Meanwhile, Betro fled to Manchester Airport and was back in the US the following day.
A global hunt was launched for Betro, who had taken selfies before the shooting, and she was arrested in Armenia.
She denied conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence and smuggling of ammunition into the UK.
Betro will be sentenced at a later date.
Specialist Prosecutor Hannah Sidaway OBE, from the Crown Prosecution Service in the West Midlands, said: “This prosecution is a culmination of years of hard work doggedly pursuing Aimee Betro across countries and borders while she remained relentless in her bid to escape justice.
“Betro tried to kill a man in a Birmingham street at point-blank range. It is sheer luck that he managed to get away unscathed.
“The prosecution case included incriminating CCTV footage from the scene of the crime, digital forensics, mobile phone data and evidence collated from cooperation and collaboration across multiple countries and criminal justice agencies – from West Midlands Police, Derbyshire Constabulary to the Federal Bureau of Investigation – all of which pointed to one culprit.
“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. The jury clearly agreed this was a planned hit which failed.
“Dangerous firearms have no place in our communities, and the use of them has all too often led to devastating consequences. Aimee Betro will now have to face the consequences of her actions.”
Betro flew in from the US to carry out the botched hit
PAShe was seen checking into a Birmingham hotel[/caption]
SWNSShe travelled to her intended victim’s home and blasted it three times[/caption]
SWNSThankfully no one was at home at the time[/caption]
PAMohammed Nazir was found guilty of conspiracy to murder last year[/caption]
PAHe and his dad wanted ‘revenge’ on Aslat Mahumad[/caption]
Social mediaBetro will be sentenced at a later date[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
