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The mastermind of an armed robbery in which PC Sharon Beshenivsky was shot dead in 2005 has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 40 years.

Piran Ditta Khan, 75, was last month found guilty of murdering the West Yorkshire Police officer, who was shot at point-blank range at Universal Express travel agent in Morley Street, Bradford.

Prosecutors said that although Khan was not one of the three smartly dressed men who carried out the raid, he had played a “pivotal” role and was guilty of murder “as surely as if he pulled the trigger on that pistol himself”.

PC Beshenivsky, 38 – who had only been a police officer for nine months – and colleague PC Teresa Milburn, then 37, were both unarmed when they responded to an alarm call and were shot in the chest on 18 November 2005.

PC Sharon Beshenivsky. Pic: CPS
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PC Sharon Beshenivsky. Pic: CPS

PC Beshenivsky collapsed to the floor with an immediately fatal injury, while PC Milburn survived after radioing for help while she was on the pavement coughing up blood.

Khan fled to Pakistan three months after the shooting and evaded arrest for 15 years until he was detained by Pakistani authorities in 2020 and extradited to the UK last year.

He pleaded guilty to robbery and was found guilty of murder, two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon, after a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

The judge, Mr Justice Hilliard, handed him a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years today, telling Khan he will spend the rest of his life in prison.

He told Khan he was sure he had the idea of robbing the travel agency, and “intended that the weapons should be used to kill if necessary to do so”, adding that he was part of a “planned enterprise” and shared “murderous intent”.

He praised PC Beshenivsky for responding to the call “when she and her colleague had no way of knowing what they would be confronted with when they got there”.

“Pc Sharon Beshenivsky’s courage and commitment to duty that day cost her life,” he said.

Khan, wearing a blue tracksuit and listening to his interpreter, had his head down as he was sentenced.

He is the last of the seven men involved in the raid to be tried – Mustaf Jama, Yusuf Jama and Muzzaker Shah are serving life sentences with minimum 35-year terms after being found guilty of murder, robbery and firearms offences in 2006 and 2007.

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Moment Piran Ditta Khan is charged with PC’s murder

‘A hero who paid the ultimate sacrifice’

PC Beshenivsky had three children and was stepmother to her husband Paul Beshenivsky’s two children from a previous relationship. Her widow and children watched as Khan was sentenced.

The court heard she was nearing the end of her shift and talked about how she was looking forward to her youngest daughter Lydia’s fourth birthday party moments before volunteering for the fatal call.

In a victim personal statement read at court, Lydia praised her mother as “a hero who paid the ultimate sacrifice”.

Lydia said she was “too young and innocent” to understand what happened and was told she “screamed her head off” after being told that her mother had died, although she has no memory of it.

WPC Teresa Milburn and Paul Beshenivsky, husband of the late WPC Sharon Beshenivsky, during a memorial service for the officer in Bradford. Pic: PA
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PC Teresa Milburn and Paul Beshenivsky. Pic: PA

Read more: How fatal robbery unfolded

She said she was proud of her mother for “doing the job she loved”, adding: “There will always be a void in my life – a void that should have been filled with my mum’s presence but as a result of violent, callous actions by you, Piran Ditta Khan, and your associates that day, you robbed me of a future and precious time with my mum.

“Every birthday is a reminder of what happened that day. It has recently been Mother’s Day, and while my friends are celebrating with their mums, I sadly can never do that.”

Paul Beshenivsky, who had been married to PC Beshenivsky for four years when she died, said telling the children what had happened was “the hardest thing I have ever had to do”.

“The way we lost Sharon was in the most brutal, callous and futile way,” he said in a statement.

“If Piran Ditta Khan had never organised the robbery, Sharon would never have been shot dead and she would have come home that day.”

Botched robbery

Khan was the only member of the group who was familiar with the travel agency and had previously used them to send money to family in Pakistan, the court heard.

At his trial, Khan told the jury the owner owed him £12,000 and thought the men sent to recover the money would only “intimidate” the staff.

The Mercedes SLK connected to the robbery of the Universal Express travel agents in Bradford
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The Mercedes SLK connected to the robbery. Pic: PA

A Mac 10 weapon.
Pic: PA
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A Mac 10 used in the robbery. Pic: PA

Three men went into the travel agency, posing as customers before jumping over the counter and demanding money.

They struck several staff members with their weapons, tied their hands and threatened to “shoot the youngest” if they were not given cash.

The men initially demanded £100,000 before stating they wouldn’t leave without £50,000 and the business owner’s son managed to press an alarm which alerted police.

When PC Beshenivsky and PC Milburn arrived on the scene, the robbers shouted “the feds are here” and fled with around £5,400 after one of them gunned down the officers.

Piran Ditta Khan being taken into custody at Elland Road Police Station in April 2023.
Pic: PA
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Khan being taken into custody at Elland Road Police Station in April 2023. Pic: PA

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The court heard Khan, who had told his accomplices they would make between £50,000 to £100,000, did not leave the safety of the Mercedes SLK used as the lookout car.

PC Milburn said in a statement she and her colleague “didn’t have a chance” and described PC Beshenivsky “stopping in terror” as she approached the door of Universal Express and saw the gunman.

She was the seventh serving female officer ever to be killed in the line of duty in Britain and left behind her husband Paul, three children and two stepchildren.

PC Sharon Beshenivsky died while attending a robbery at a travel agent in 2005. Pic: Reuters
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PC Sharon Beshenivsky. Pic: Reuters

‘A journey seeking truth and justice’

In a statement, her family said 18 November 2005 “is a date that will remain etched in our memories forever” and 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,” they said.

“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.”

The statement added: “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.

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West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Patrick Twiggs added: “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.”

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Inside the cannabis farms being set up in rented homes

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Inside the cannabis farms being set up in rented homes

Organised criminal gangs are increasingly using rented houses and flats to operate illegal cannabis farms – and police say it is putting the lives of innocent neighbours at risk.

The gangs often use crude methods to bypass electricity meters to avoid paying for the high levels of energy the farms require, creating an increased fire risk.

Rival gangs also carry out raids on each other’s farms – a practice known as ‘taxing’ – carrying out “significant violence” to anyone who gets in their way, police say.

Greater Manchester Police detected 402 cannabis farms between May 2024 and April 2025, and Sky News was given access to an operation by its officers at a semi-detached house in a quiet suburban street in Wythenshawe.

Inside, officers found one room full of cannabis plants and another ‘drying room’ with the drug packaged up and ready to be distributed. The street value was estimated in the tens of thousands of pounds.

Cannabis farm
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This home on a quiet street was filled with cannabis plants

Cannabis farm Milam package

Outside, officers found evidence that the electricity meter had been bypassed. ‘Abstracting’ is the offence of dishonestly using, wasting or diverting electricity. One person inside the property was arrested.

“The electricity gets bypassed in order to avoid big electric bills,” Inspector Bree Lanyon said.

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“Because a substantial amount of electric is required to run the lights, the ventilation, the heat, everything else that’s required in the cannabis farm, the abstract is done in a haphazard way and it can cause fires within the properties.”

Cannabis
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Officers found bags of the drug ready to be distributed

She continued: “We’ve seen a lot of fires recently in premises that have been set up as cannabis farms, because of the way the electricity is set up. It’s not safe and the neighbouring residence could be at risk if that property is burning down.”

The risks posed by cannabis farms were highlighted by the death of seven-year-old Archie York in 2024. He was killed when chemicals being used in a cannabis factory caused an explosion in the family’s block of flats. The drug dealer responsible was jailed for 14 years.

Archie York still from Greg Milam package
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Archie York

Archie York aftermath
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The aftermath of the explosion which killed the seven-year-old

Police say gangs employ low-level operatives, known as gardeners, to manage and protect farms, who will often plead guilty to drug offences and accept the punishment to keep police off the trail of those controlling the operation.

The use of rented properties – sometimes through rogue landlords – also makes detection more difficult.

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“The vast majority are organised crime gangs,” said Detective Inspector Paul Crompton, from GMP’s serious and organised crime group. “It infuriates me when we take action against these farms and people say ‘It’s only cannabis’.

“What we see with cannabis farms is that rival organised crime groups will actively target those and break in and take the products by force. You’ve got a risk of potentially people being kidnapped or killed without us knowing anything about them.

“Make no bones about it, there’s massive amounts of money to make and they would rather just go and take that cannabis and sell it for themselves. They’ll do significant, violence against anybody that gets in the way, whether that’s the gardener, the police or residents who might get in the way.”

 Cannabis farms Milam
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Police check an electricity meter for evidence of ‘abstracting’

Police say landlords need to be aware of the risks and even the chief executive of the British Landlords Association has fallen victim.

One of Sajjar Ahmad’s properties was badly damaged by those using it for an illegal cannabis farm. “I can only explain it as horrific,” he said.

“Our members, when they’ve experienced the problem with the cannabis farm, they are shocked. They didn’t know it could happen. They are not aware of the telltale signs.

“They have the same regrets as what I experienced – you need to carry out regular inspections and, if somebody is offering you a larger rent, then you should question that.”

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Personal trainer jailed over ‘first date’ chase that ended in crash involving five police cars

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Personal trainer jailed over 'first date' chase that ended in crash involving five police cars

A personal trainer who admitted dangerous driving on a first date that ended in a police car pile-up has been sentenced to one year and two months in a young offenders’ institution.

Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, was taking a woman home in the early hours of 9 April when his driving triggered a car chase and eventual crash involving five police cars.

Mazyar Azarbonyad. Pic: Northumbria Police
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Mazyar Azarbonyad. Pic: Northumbria Police

Seven officers ended up in hospital, and one of their cars had its roof torn off in the dramatic collision that left debris strewn across the A1 near Newcastle.

Northumbria Police said while three officers have been able to return to duty, four remain off work.

Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

At Newcastle Crown Court in April, Azarbonyad admitted a series of driving offences, including driving without insurance several times after the crash, and failing to stop.

Northumbria Police said officers attempted to stop his powerful BMW in the Whickham area of Gateshead due to its speed and defective headlight.

After being instructed to pull over, Azarbonyad initially stopped before fleeing as the officer approached his vehicle.

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The scene on the A1, which has been shut in both directions on Tyneside.
Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

The scene on the A1, which has been shut in both directions on Tyneside.
Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

The car was later spotted on Whickham Front Street where it again made off from police and drove at excessive speeds through residential streets.

Specialist officers from the force’s road policing unit were sent to the area, and at 2.25am got behind the car where it reached speeds in excess of 120mph.

Just two minutes later the collision occurred near the Denton Interchange exit in Newcastle.

Azarbonyad and his female passenger were both uninjured.

The woman, aged in her 20s, was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting dangerous driving but was later told she would face no further action. She later received a caution for drug possession.

Mazyar Azarbonyad arrives at Newcastle Crown Court for sentencing over a multiple vehicle crash which injured seven police officers followin
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Azarbonyad arriving at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday. Pic: PA

Azarbonyad was arrested at the scene and later released on bail with strict conditions including an interim driving ban.

Days later, officers received information that he was driving a red Hyundai i10 from his County Durham home to work in Newcastle city centre.

He was arrested on a garage forecourt in Stanley on 16 April after being caught filling up the vehicle.

Appearing before magistrates the following day, he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, two counts of failing to stop a motor vehicle when required by a constable, six counts of no insurance use, and six counts of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Mazyar Azarbonyad.
Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

Defending, solicitor Jack Lovell had told the court the defendant, of Stanley, had shown genuine remorse for his actions.

Returning to Newcastle Crown Court on Monday, Azarbonyad was sentenced to one year and two months in a young offenders’ institution.

He was also disqualified from driving for three years and seven months. If Azarbonyad wishes to get behind the wheel again, he must also sit an extended re-test.

Five-vehicle crash involving police vehicles shuts down A1
Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

Following the court case, Superintendent Billy Mulligan said: “It is sheer luck that Mazyar Azarbonyad did not kill anyone that day with his reckless actions.

“What should have been a simple stop turned into him driving incredibly dangerously in a bid to get away from officers.

“He showed absolutely zero regard for the safety of anyone else that morning, and his decision-making behind the wheel put lives at risk.”

Superintendent Mulligan praised the bravery of the officers involved in the pursuit and subsequent collision.

He added: “While three officers have been able to return to duty, four of our colleagues remain off work – and I wish them all the best in their recovery.

“They were simply doing their job, protecting the public from the actions of someone who was not even qualified or insured to drive.

“We have a zero-tolerance approach to this type of behaviour, and we are committed to bringing offenders to justice and ensuring our roads are as safe as possible.”

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Man convicted after burning Koran outside Turkish consulate in London

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Man convicted after burning Koran outside Turkish consulate in London

A man has been found guilty of an offence after burning a Koran outside the Turkish consulate in London, in a case that sparked debate over the freedom of expression.

Hamit Coskun was accused of shouting “f*** Islam” and “Islam is religion of terrorism” as he held up a burning copy of the holy Islamic text in Knightsbridge, London, in February.

He was found guilty of a religiously aggravated public order offence.

Delivering the verdict, district judge McGarva said: “Your actions in burning the Koran where you did were highly provocative, and your actions were accompanied by bad language in some cases directed toward the religion and were motivated at least in part by hatred of followers of the religion.”

The 50-year-old denied using disorderly behaviour “within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress”, motivated by “hostility towards members of a religious group, namely followers of Islam”, contrary to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Public Order Act 1986.

He had also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of using disorderly behaviour “within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress”, contrary to section five of the Public Order Act 1986.

The charges were alternative, meaning only one or the other would apply, but not both.

Prosecutors said Coskun had written on social media he was protesting the “Islamist government” of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had “made Turkey a base for radical Islamists and is trying to establish a Sharia regime”.

Mr Erdogan, who has been in power for over 20 years, leads the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which, while created from former Islamist movements and having a strong religious base, describes itself as a conservative-democratic party and has strongly denied being Islamist.

Barrister Katy Thorne KC, defending, last week argued the prosecution was effectively trying to revive blasphemy laws, which were abolished in England and Wales in 2008 and Scotland in 2021.

Coskun, who has both Kurdish and Armenian heritage but was born in Turkey, travelled from his home in the Midlands and set fire to the Koran on the afternoon of 13 February, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard last week.

Footage aired in court showed another man confronting Coskun, allegedly holding a knife and saying: “It’s my religion, you don’t burn the Koran.”

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