Sharon Beshenivsky: Robbery mastermind Piran Ditta Khan found guilty of PC's 2005 murder

In a landmark conviction that concludes a search for justice spanning nearly two decades, Piran Ditta Khan, the ringleader of a violent robbery gang, has been found guilty of the murder of Bradford police officer PC Sharon Beshenivsky in 2005.

PC Beshenivsky was shot and killed on November 18, 2005, while responding to an active robbery at the Universal Express travel agency on Morley Street, Bradford. Her colleague, PC Teresa Milburn, was also shot and seriously injured in the same incident. While the actual gunmen were convicted years ago, Khan, the mastermind behind the heist, fled the United Kingdom to Pakistan shortly after the murder, evading justice for many years.

The Morley Street Raid

The tragedy occurred on what was PC Beshenivsky's daughter's fourth birthday. The robbery gang raided the travel agency, and as PC Beshenivsky and PC Milburn arrived at the scene, they were shot at point-blank range. The murder shocked the nation and led to a massive manhunt.

Extradition and Trial

Khan was eventually arrested in Pakistan in January 2020 following close cooperation between British authorities and Pakistani law enforcement. He was extradited back to the UK in April 2023 to face trial. Prosecutors successfully argued that although Khan did not pull the trigger himself, he was the architect of the robbery, remained in a lookout car nearby, and was fully responsible for the armed raid that resulted in the officer's death. The jury returned a guilty verdict, bringing a long-awaited resolution to one of the UK's most high-profile police murder cases.