Man jailed for life over murder of Pc Sharon Beshenivsky in Bradford

The mastermind behind an armed robbery in Bradford, that saw a police officer shot dead, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 40 years.

Pc Sharon Beshenivsky was responding to reports of a robbery at a travel agents when she was shot on her daughter's fourth birthday in November 2005.

She and her colleague, Pc Teresa Milburn, who were both unarmed, were shot at point-blank range by one of the three men who had just carried out the robbery.

Almost two decades on, the gang's ringleader, Piran Ditta Khan, became the last of the seven men involved in the robbery to be convicted in April this year.

The 75-year-old spent 15 years on the run before being arrested in Pakistan.

He was found guilty of murdering Pc Beshenivsky, as well as two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon. He pleaded guilty to robbery.

Leeds Crown Court heard that although Khan did not leave the safety of a lookout car throughout the raid, he played a "pivotal" role in planning it and knew loaded weapons would be used.

Prosecutors said this made him guilty of Pc Beshenivsky's murder "as surely as if he had pulled the trigger himself".

During the trial, jurors heard Khan was the only one of the group who was familiar with Universal Express and had used them in the past to send money to family.

He flew to Pakistan two months after Pc Beshenivsky's death and remained at liberty there until he was arrested by Pakistani authorities in January 2020 and then extradited to the UK last year.

Khan told jurors he did not know that a robbery was going to be carried out, or that weapons were going to be taken.

He claimed he was owed £12,000 by Universal Express's owner and that debt collector Hassan Razzaq, who was later convicted of manslaughter over Pc Beshenivsky's death, had offered to help get his money back. Prosecutors said there was no evidence of this.

The court heard Pc Beshenivsky's injury was immediately fatal. Pc Milburn, who activated her personal radio and called for help as she was coughing up blood, survived her injuries after hospital treatment.

The family of PC Beshenivsky have released the below statement:

"The 18th November 2005 is a date that will remain etched in our memories forever. What started as a happy, special day to celebrate Lydia’s fourth birthday, was a day that ended in devastating, sad consequences due to the callous actions of Piran Ditta Khan and his associates.

"Since then, the 18th November is no longer a birthday celebration (for Lydia and us all) but now a day of remembrance and memorial.

"That was the day the lives of our family and those close to Sharon changed forever. As well as Sharon’s friend and colleague Teresa, and her family.

"November 2005 was the start of an almost 19-year journey. A journey seeking the truth and justice for Sharon, who was not just a police officer, but a loving mum, wife, daughter, sister, and a friend to many.

"Our journey seeking justice and closure of the judicial process is now at an end. This journey has and continues to be difficult for us all. Enduring several trials over the years has been hard, each one of them taking us back to the very beginning, which made us feel like we had lost Sharon all over again. And now we once again pick up the pieces of our lives and continue forward as Sharon would have wanted us all to do.

"We would like to thank all those who have been involved in the investigation and criminal justice process for their tireless dedication, perseverance, support, and attention to detail which has made this day possible.

"We respect the findings of the court and thank the jury for the diligence and care they took over considering all the evidence during the eight-week trial.

"No prison sentence could ever compensate us for Sharon’s life and our loss, but we will move forward knowing that justice has been served.

Assistant Chief Constable Patrick Twiggs of West Yorkshire Police said:

“We welcome the life sentence handed down to Khan today. This is a day of mixed emotions. On the one hand we are pleased to get the final conviction in this case, but on the other hand we are sad as it has brought into sharp focus the completely unnecessary waste of life that day.

“For 18 years we have never given up on getting justice for Sharon and Teresa, and today their families have received that justice.

“Sharon was murdered in the line of duty, in what was a totally unnecessary act. Sharon was doing her job and protecting the public.

“The pain and anguish of what happened on that day and the profound sense of loss, will come flooding back to her family, friends, Police and the local community. It was a day we will never forget.

“We never gave up, we relentlessly pursued Khan even when things got tough, we never gave up.

“I would like to thank our partners including the CPS, NCA, Pakistani authorities and all police forces over the years who have helped us in this investigation.

“I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Sharon’s family and Teresa and all who were affected that day.

“West Yorkshire Police will continue to honour Sharon’s memory, we still mourn the loss, we still miss her, she will be forever in our thoughts.”

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