LONDON: After twenty years of avoiding accountability, a Pakistani individual was finally convicted on Thursday for the murder of a UK police officer in 2005.
PC Sharon Beshenivsky, a 38-year-old mother of three, tragically lost her life when she was shot outside a travel agency in Bradford while responding to an armed robbery. Piran Ditta Khan, aged 75, who had been sought by British authorities since 2006, was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court. He had previously admitted to robbery and was the final member of a group of seven involved in the robbery to be convicted.
Khan was found guilty of murder by a majority decision of 10-1 after 11 jurors deliberated for nearly 19 hours over four days. Additionally, he was convicted of two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and unanimously found guilty of two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon.
The tragic event unfolded on November 18, 2005, when Sharon Beshenivsky and PC Teresa Milburn responded to an alarm call at a travel agency in Bradford. They were met with gunfire by three assailants upon arrival, resulting in Beshenivsky’s fatal shooting and injuries to Milburn.
Prosecutors argued that Khan, a former takeaway boss, was the mastermind behind the robbery. Although he did not directly participate in the raid, he played a pivotal role in planning it and was aware that loaded firearms would be used. They contended that this made him culpable for Beshenivsky’s murder.
Khan claimed he had no knowledge of the planned robbery or the weapons involved. He alleged that the business owner owed him money and that a debt collector offered to retrieve it. However, prosecutors dismissed this claim as false.
Jurors heard that Khan was driven to Yorkshire for reconnaissance by the debt collector, Hassan Razzaq, prior to the robbery. Witnesses reported overhearing discussions between Khan and the gunmen about the plot.
After the murder, Khan fled to Pakistan to evade capture and remained at large until his arrest in Islamabad in 2020. Despite the absence of an extradition treaty, efforts from the CPS, National Crime Agency, and Pakistani authorities led to Khan’s return to the UK in April 2023, where he was arrested and charged.
