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7 months ago
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This is the extraordinary moment police hunting the killer of PC Sharon Beshenivsky finally caught their man - and locked him in a cell.
Piran Ditta Khan, 75, had spent more than a decade on the run after masterminding the robbery which saw heroic PC Beshenivsky shot and killed at 'almost point blank range' in 2005.
PC Beshenivsky was gunned down on November 18 2005 as she and her colleague PC Teresa Milburn responded to a report of a robbery at Universal Express travel agents in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
After the killing, fugitive Khan fled to his native Pakistan - where there is no extradition to the UK - and went into hiding.
He was finally arrested in Pakistan in 2020 of years of legal wrangling before being dragged back to Britain last April to face justice.
The is the extraordinary moment police hunting the killer of PC Sharon Beshenivsky finally caught their man
Piran Ditta Khan, 75, had spent more than a decade on the run after masterminding the robbery which saw heroic PC Beshenivsky shot and killed
He was finally led into a cell at a West Yorkshire police station having been on the run in his native Pakistan for more than a decade
PC Sharon Beshenivsky (pictured) was fatally shot in November 2005 as she and her colleague responded to a report of a robbery in Bradford, West Yorkshire
Today, the 75-year-old was convicted of murdering the 38-year-old mother-of-three by a majority of 10-1 after 11 jurors deliberated for almost 19 hours over four days.
Now, West Yorkshire Police has released the incredible footage of Khan being hauled into a police station and locked inside a cell at the Elland Road base.
Chained in handcuffs, Khan is filmed as he is pulled out a white police vehicle by a suited detective.
Wearing a navy blue Nike tracksuit, the father-of-six appears to limp as he is escorted through the police station.
The former takeaway restaurant boss is seen surrounded by three officers, including one armed with a Taser, as he is led into the custody suite.
Hanging his head, the video then cuts to the frail-looking pensioner as a bespectacled officer reads the charges against him.
'Piran Ditta Khan on the 18th day of November, 2005, murdered Police Constable Sharon Beshenivsky,' the officer says, before a custody sergeant asks Khan: 'Have you any response to that charge? Do you wish to say anything?'
Stuttering and shaking his head, the killer crook defiantly declares: 'I've not murdered anybody.'
Hanging his head, the video then cuts to the frail-looking pensioner as a bespectacled officer (right) reads the charges against him
Khan is later seen being escorted through the Elland Road station by officers
This is the moment the killer pensioner, 75, was finally caged for the killing of PC Beshenivsky
After being led into the cell, the video ends with an officer closing the cell door and locking it
The video clip then cuts to Khan, now wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and his navy-blue Nike jumper, as he is hauled into his police cell before the door bolted shut.
A year after the footage was captured, and Khan was finally convicted of the murder of PC Beshenivsky - 19 years after the brave officer was killed.
She was shot dead at point blank range and her colleague PC Teresa Milburn seriously wounded as they went to investigate an armed robbery at a travel agency in Bradford.
Khan was the man who planned and organised the ill-fated raid. He now faces spending the rest of his life behind bars for the murder.
He was not one of the three armed men who went into the Universal Express agency on November 18 2005 and shot the police officers as they fled with £5,405 in cash.
The court heard Khan, who had picked the business as a suitable cash-rich target, was parked nearby and gave the go ahead.
Piran Ditta Khan has been found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky, 38
This 'spray and pray' MAC-10 sub-machine gun was used at the scene of PC Beshenivsky's murder
With the net closing in Khan fled the country two months later and moved back to his native Pakistan where there was no extradition treaty with the UK.
But years of diplomacy and discussions at a ministerial level eventually led to Khan's arrest in 2020 and today he was found guilty by a jury at Leeds Crown Court after a seven-week trial.
It means that all seven men involved in the raid have now been convicted over their roles in the robbery.
The three gunmen who went into the agency, armed with a sub-machine gun, pistol and knife, were jailed for murder.
Khan had admitted robbery but told the jury he did not plan or organise it and had no idea the trio of robbers were armed.
PC Beshenivisky, 38, a mother-of-three who had been an officer for just nine months, was shot through the heart and died on the pavement.
The safe at the Universal Express travel agents in Bradford that was raided by Khan's gang
PC Beshenvinsky was shot dead at point blank range while responding to the break-in
The tragedy unfolded in 2005 after PC Beshenivsky was called to an armed robbery
A 'safe house' on Harehills Lane that was used by the robbers
Khan's fingerprints were found on this wardrobe inside the safe house
This kitchen knife was seized by West Yorkshire Police during their investigation
Police chief's relief at finally fulfilling promise to PC's husband
The police chief who led the inquiry into the fatal armed robbery said today he was relieved to fulfil his promise to PC Sharon Beshenivsky's husband to bring all those involved to justice.
Andy Brennan retired from West Yorkshire Police 10 years ago knowing that Piran Ditta Khan was still in large. The former senior detective has attended the trial at Leeds Crown Court and can now rest easy that justice has been done.
He said: 'Going back to 2005 on the day this happened, I met Paul Beshenivsky and his family and gave a commitment that we would find everybody involved and they would be brought before the courts.'
Mr Brennan, who was the senior investigating officer at the time, said he appeared at the first press conference following PC Beshenivsky's murder with the late chief constable Colin Cramphorn and 'gave that same commitment to the public.'
'At that time I knew that there were three people who had definitely gone inside the premises but we didn't understand or appreciate the scale and extent of the operation itself. It was only through the investigation process that that came out.'
Commenting on Khan's eventual arrest and extradition to the UK, he said: 'I was really, really pleased because Khan was always the last one and it has been on my mind that we wanted to get him. Unfortunately it didn't happen whilst I was still serving but that didn't alter anything in my view.'
Mr Brennan retired from the force in 2014, moving on to the National Crime Agency, knowing the 'planning and preparation' had all been done and he was confident in due course that efforts at government level would result in his extradition.
He said he had spent a lot of time and effort lobbying government officials to pursue extradition and his colleagues and continued to do that.
'You've just got to keep on politely applying pressure in the right way and hopefully things will fall into place,' he said.
Mr Brennan said Khan's conviction will hopefully bring PC Beshenivsky's family 'some kind of closure, adding: 'There is nobody outstanding now. Everybody has been arrested and dealt with by the court.'
Her brave colleague was coughing up blood but managed to report the shooting by activating her personal police radio.
Mr Justice Hilliard told the jury to convict of murder they must be sure Khan intentionally encouraged and assisted the robbers and intended at least really serious harm would be caused if necessary in the course of the raid.
Robert Smith, KC, said Khan's part in the operation was so 'pivotal' that he is guilty of murder.
Universal Express was used by local people to transfer funds to relatives in Pakistan by paying in cash.
As a customer who had used it for this purpose, Khan was aware that 'substantial quantities' of cash were held there, the court heard.
He knew about the security within the building and that firearms would be needed to threaten staff, said Mr Smith.
Khan was also aware that customers could only enter inside through a lobby that was locked. Staff checked out people in the lobby before unlocking the door, the court heard.
On the day of the raid two of them robbers were dressed in suits and the third in a white shirt and jacket.
Their loaded guns were inside a computer bag along with a large knife and cable ties to tie up staff.
They were dressed to look respectable so that they would be allowed inside.
Khan also planned the raid, making a scouting trip five days earlier on a quiet Sunday when the business was closed.
The group had a safehouse in Leeds where they gathered before the raid.
It was at this safehouse that a witness heard Khan being asked about the amount of cash they could expect to get in the planned robbery.
The court heard he told the group a 'minimum of £50,000 and a maximum of £100,000.'
The two police officers were sent there after a member of staff triggered a 'silent alarm' during the raid.
They were close to the door when the three robbers came out. The prosecution said Shah was the 'Asian man' who shot PC Beshenivsky and then PC Milburn, who was 37 at the time.
She said in a statement: 'I felt immense pain and knew straight away I had been shot.'
The force of the second shot spun me round. The force was unbelievable.'
PC Milburn managed to radio for help and gave a description of the man to her colleagues as she was on the pavement coughing up blood.
She said: 'I was in extreme pain, I was still spitting blood. I thought 'stay awake'.
'My body was shaking, I felt like going to sleep and giving in.'
PC Beshenivsky had been serving in the police for less than a year when she was killed
Her colleague Teresa Milburn (pictured) was shot at point-blank range and was injured during the ordeal but survived
Khan in court after being charged with the police officer's murder in January this year
A Toyota Corolla connected to the robbery of the Universal Express travel agents in Bradford
Police also seized this Mercedes SLK, which is pictured in an undated handout photo
A Toyota Rav 4 that was also used by the gang during the vicious raid
PC Milburn said PC Beshenivsky 'didn't have a chance.'
Detective Superintendent Marc Bowes of West Yorkshire Police said: 'Today as always our thoughts remain with PC Sharon Beshenivsky and her family, Sharon went to work to protect the public, she responded to a call for help alongside her colleague Teresa but tragically never came home.
'This verdict is the culmination of 18 years of hard work, tenacious grit and determination to bring Khan before the courts.'
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