An American 'hitwoman' who has been accused of attempting to assassinate a Birmingham shopkeeper flew to the UK to celebrate her birthday and attend a boat party, a jury heard.
Aimee Betro, 45, disguised herself by wearing a niqab and tried to shoot Sikander Ali at point blank range outside his home in Measham Grove, Birmingham, but the gun jammed, allowing Mr Ali to flee, the court was told.
She is alleged to have flown from Wisconsin as part of a plot orchestrated by co-conspirators Mohammed Aslam, 56, and Mohammed Nabil Nazir, 31, of Elms Avenue in Derby, to attack a rival family on September 7, 2019.
Giving evidence in her defence on Monday, Betro explained that she visited the UK three times before the shooting.
She told Birmingham Crown Court she had slept with Nazir at an Airbnb during a visit to the UK spanning December 2018 and January 2019.
