'Mastermind' of armed robbery to be sentenced for murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky
The mum of three was shot dead in Bradford in 2005
The mastermind of an armed robbery which saw Bradford police officer Sharon Beshenivsky shot dead will be sentenced today for murder.
Piran Ditta Khan, 75, planned the raid at Universal Express travel agent on Morley Street in November 2005 and was convicted of murder and firearms offences at Leeds Crown Court last month.
PC Beshenivsky, 38, was nearing the end of her shift and should have been heading home to celebrate her daughter’s 4th birthday when she and her colleague PC Teresa Milburn responded to the robbery,
Both were shot at point blank range, with PC Milburn suffering serious injuries.
“She was the 7th female officer to be killed on duty,” says Chris Webb, head of communications at the UK Police Memorial.
“It was shocking because she was no threat to those individuals. She was not armed. They completely disregarded her safety, they disregarded her life. They didn’t have to shoot and kill her.
“Sharon went out on that November day to do her job, her family expected her to return home to put her kids to bed. That never happened.
“So I really do hope her family will find some peace and closure now, but that loss never disappears.”
Khan is the 7th and final member of the gang to be convicted for his part in the raid after being extradited from Pakistan last year, with the court hearing how he was the ‘mastermind’ behind it.
In May 2009 a memorial stone was unveiled by the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, marking the spot where PC Beshenivsky was shot dead.
Steve Lloyd is a trustee of the Police Memorial Trust which installed it:
““I was a serving police officer back then, across the border in the Manchester area, and when the news came through of Sharon’s death it was a profound shock.
“And of course all those years later when we had two female officers killed here, it brought back all those terrible memories of that day.
“The mark of respect was that the then Prime Minister came and unveiled the memorial stone. It was a very moving occasion and it was nice to see all the family and friend attend and hopefully take some little solace from the fact that Sharon’s sacrifice will never be forgotten.
“It is a relief (to see Khan convicted), and there must be congratulations due to the West Yorkshire force for their tenacity and the way they pursued this man.
“It will bring some comfort to the family I know, and hopefully he will serve a long time in prison.”
Khan is due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today (10th May).