A father and son duo from Derby, Mohammed Aslam and Mohammed Nazir, have been sentenced to a total of 42 years behind bars for their involvement in a revenge plot to commit murder. They had hired a female hitwoman, Aimee Betro, from the USA to carry out the killing in Birmingham. However, the plot was foiled when the gun malfunctioned during an attempt to assassinate boutique clothing store owner Sikander Ali on the street.
The motive behind the feud between the families was related to a clash in a high-end clothing shop in 2018, which resulted in serious injuries. This incident fueled the grudge that Aslam and Nazir held against Mr. Ali’s family, leading them to conspire to murder the businessman or his relatives. The plan was not a spontaneous reaction to events but a calculated revenge attack.
During the trial, it was revealed that Betro had taken a selfie with a devil horn filter the day before the attempted murder. She had also shared pictures of cocktails and boasted about meeting her “partner in crime” in Manchester. Following the failed assassination attempt, Betro returned to a Birmingham home and fired shots at the house, sending a taunting text message challenging the family. She was eventually arrested in Armenia.
The judge, Simon Drew KC, expressed that the intention of the father and son duo was to kill a member of the Mahumad family, if not Aslat Mahamud himself. The gun jamming during the attack on Mr. Ali was a matter of chance that saved his life. Both Aslam and Nazir were found guilty of conspiracy to kill, with Nazir facing additional charges for illegally importing firearms and perverting the course of justice.
The prosecutor described how Betro had fled the UK after the failed attempt, leaving a trail of threatening messages to the target. She had contacted the victim under the guise of purchasing a car, leading up to the assassination attempt. Betro’s actions showed a calculated and malicious intent to cause harm to the intended target.
In sentencing, Judge Drew highlighted the premeditated nature of the crime, emphasizing the seriousness of the conspiracy to commit murder. Nazir received a longer sentence of 32 years compared to Aslam’s 10-year sentence. The court proceedings shed light on the dangerous and calculated nature of the revenge plot orchestrated by the father and son duo, along with the hired hitwoman from the USA.
The incident serves as a chilling reminder of the lengths some individuals are willing to go for revenge and the devastating consequences of such actions. The swift apprehension and sentencing of those involved in the conspiracy to commit murder have brought a sense of justice to the victims and their families.
