US female convicted for conspiring to perpetrate a homicide in the UK
In a sensational trial that involved complex international elements, Aimee Betro, a 45-year-old woman from Wisconsin, was found guilty of attempting a contract killing in Birmingham, England on August 12, 2025. Her sentencing is scheduled for August 21, 2025.
The events leading to Betro's conviction began in August 2019 when she traveled from the US, disguising herself in a niqab, to carry out the assassination of Sikander Ali, a Birmingham clothing shop owner. In September of the same year, she attempted to shoot Ali at point-blank range on a Birmingham street, but the gun jammed, allowing him to escape. Subsequently, she fired shots at Ali’s family home before fleeing back to the US. Betro was arrested in Armenia in 2024 and extradited to the UK for trial.
The prosecution's case against Betro relied on CCTV, mobile phone data, and witness testimony that confirmed her involvement. Despite her claims that the real shooter was another American woman, the jury found the evidence definitive. Betro denied three charges, including conspiracy to murder and possessing a self-loading pistol.
Betro's co-conspirators, Mohammed Aslam and Mohammed Nabil Nazir, a father-son duo from Derbyshire, had arranged the revenge plot due to a dispute with the victim. Nazir, who was Betro’s long-distance lover, recruited her to carry out the hit. Nazir was sentenced to 32 years in November 2024, and Aslam to 10 years for conspiracy to murder related to this plot.
The feud between the parties was reportedly triggered by injuries sustained in a brawl. No further details about the plot or the feud were provided during the trial. Prosecutor Hannah Sidaway stated that Betro's actions in attempting to kill Sikander Ali in a Birmingham street were fortunate to have left him unscathed.
This case marked a significant milestone in the British justice system, involving complex international elements such as Betro’s travel, disguise, and arrest abroad before extradition and trial in Birmingham Crown Court.
[1] BBC News, "Wisconsin Woman Found Guilty of Attempted Contract Killing in Birmingham", August 12, 2025. [2] The Guardian, "American Woman Convicted of Attempted Murder in Birmingham", August 12, 2025. [3] Sky News, "Aimee Betro Found Guilty of Attempted Contract Killing in Birmingham", August 12, 2025.
The sensational trial, rich in international elements, was covered extensively by major news outlets such as BBC News, The Guardian, and Sky News. This investigation delved into the realms of Malaysia's politics and general news, as it unveiled Mohammed Nabil Nazir's long-distance relationship with the accused, Aimee Betro. This relationship was instrumental in Nazir recruiting Betro for the conspiracy to murder Sikander Ali, a Birmingham clothing shop owner, in a plot sparked by a feud with severe repercussions that echoed across both crime-and-justice and international relations.
