Sharon Beshenivsky: Piran Ditta Khan guilty of murdering police officer in 2005

Published

2 months ago

April 4, 2024

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The mastermind of an armed robbery in which PC Sharon Beshenivsky was shot dead nearly 20 years ago has been found guilty of her murder.

Prosecutors said Piran Ditta Khan, 75, planned the raid at Universal Express travel agent in Morley Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire on 18 November 2005.

PC Beshenivsky, 38, and her colleague PC Teresa Milburn, then 37, were both unarmed when they responded to the robbery and were shot at point-blank range.

PC Beshenivsky, who had only been a West Yorkshire Police officer for nine months, died from her injuries, while PC Milburn, who was also shot in the chest, survived.

Khan was convicted of murder by a majority of 10-1 after 11 jurors deliberated for almost 19 hours over four days.

He was also found guilty of two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and was unanimously convicted of two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon.

Khan has previously pleaded guilty to robbery.

The judge, Mr Justice Hilliard, thanked the jury for its role in the case of a police officer who “set off for work that morning and never came home, all for doing her job to try and keep us all safe”.

“Even after so many years it hardly bears thinking about,” he said.

“The only sentence for murder is imprisonment for life, I have to set the minimum term.”

Khan, who showed no visible emotion when the verdicts were given, will be sentenced at a later date.

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.”

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

At his trial at Leeds Crown Court, he claimed the owner of the travel agency owed him £12,000 and thought the men sent to recover the money would only “intimidate” the staff.

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

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.

He pleaded guilty to robbery and was today found guilty of murder.

Khan 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.

The raid then saw the three men go into the travel agency and pose 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 weren’t given cash.

The men initially demanded £100,000 before stating they wouldn’t leave without £50,000.

The business owner’s son informed them they did have not much money and 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.

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.

PC Beshenivsky was shot in the chest before collapsing to the floor with an immediately fatal injury, while PC Milburn managed to radio for help while she was on the pavement coughing up blood.

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.

UK

‘I was told this was a wonder drug but not warned about the deathly consequences’: 100 faces of infected blood scandal

Published

4 hours ago

May 20, 2024

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'I was told this was a wonder drug but not warned about the deathly consequences': 100 faces of infected blood scandal

“Losing Gary, my soul mate, was beyond painful,” says Kathryn Croucher, whose husband died aged 42 in 2010.

“Every day was a struggle dealing with the knowledge he was HIV and Hepatitis C positive.”

“Mum always said she was given a death sentence,” recalls Ronan Fitzgerald. His mother, Jane, died aged 54 after being infected with Hepatitis C when she was 16. “It was a ticking time bomb.”

Updates:
Scandal was ‘not an accident’
Follow reaction to report live

More than 30,000 Britons were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.

Around 3,000 people have died as a result of the scandal, while many more still live under the shadow of health problems, debilitating treatments and stigma. Now, the findings of a public inquiry, first announced in 2017, will finally be published.

These are 100 faces of infected blood victims that either they, or their families, have shared with Sky News.

Click the images to read their stories.

Sky News will have full coverage of the infected blood report on TV, online and on the Sky News app today.

Sky News would like to thank everyone who contributed to this project.

UK

Julian Assange wins High Court bid to bring appeal against extradition to US

Published

4 hours ago

May 20, 2024

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Julian Assange wins High Court bid to bring appeal against extradition to US

Julian Assange will be allowed to appeal against his extradition to the United States.

Two judges responded today to US assurances that Mr Assange will not face the death penalty – and can rely on the First Amendment right to free speech if he faced a trial for spying.

The WikiLeaks founder faces prosecution in the US over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information after the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Edward Fitzgerald KC, representing Assange, criticised the assurances of Joe Biden’s US administration at the hearing. He said: “Based on the principle of the separation of powers, the US court can and will apply US law, whatever the executive may say or do.”

He added most of the promises were “blatantly inadequate” – but they had accepted the promise about the death penalty.

In written submissions, the barrister said while the assurance over the death penalty was “an unambiguous executive promise”, the other assurance does not give “any reliable promise as to future action”.

The barrister added: “What needs to be conclusively removed is the risk that he will be prevented from relying on the first amendment on grounds of nationality.”

But James Lewis KC, representing the US government, insisted the “judicial branch of the United States will take due notice of this solemn assurance given by its government in the course of international relations”.

In written submissions, he said there is “no question” that Assange, if extradited, “will be entitled to the full panoply of due process trial rights, including the right to raise, and seek to rely upon, the first amendment as a defence”.

He later told the court: “The assurance does make it clear that he will not be discriminated against because of his nationality.

“He can and will be able to raise all those arguments and his nationality will not prejudice a fair trial.”

Today’s decision is the latest chapter in 13 years of legal battles and detentions for Australian-born Mr Assange.

The US authorities want to put Mr Assange on trial over 18 charges, nearly all under the Espionage Act.

They claim his actions with WikiLeaks were reckless, damaged national security, and endangered the lives of agents.

During a two-day hearing in February, lawyers for Mr Assange asked for permission to challenge a judge’s dismissal of the majority of his case to prevent his extradition.

In March, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson dismissed most of Mr Assange’s legal arguments – but said unless assurances were given by the US, he would be able to bring an appeal on three grounds.

These assurances are that Assange would be protected by and allowed to rely on the First Amendment – which protects freedom of speech in the US – that he is not “prejudiced at trial” due to his nationality, and that the death penalty is not imposed.

Supporters of Mr Assange have already been gathering outside the High Court to continue their calls for his release.

Mr Assange is currently being held in London’s high security Belmarsh prison.

UK

Hunt for two suspects after man dies in Glasgow stabbing

Published

4 hours ago

May 20, 2024

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Hunt for two suspects after man dies in Glasgow stabbing

Detectives are on the hunt for two men following a fatal stabbing in Glasgow at the weekend.

Police Scotland said the force received a report of a man being attacked and stabbed in Saracen Street, Possil, at around 5pm on Saturday.

Emergency services attended and took the 27-year-old victim to the city’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, where he later died.

The death is being treated as “suspicious” ahead of the completion of a post-mortem examination.

Investigating officers have since established that two men were involved in the attack.

The suspects have been described as white and in their 30s.

One was wearing a light-blue top and black shorts, while the other was dressed in a white top, black shorts and black trainers.

Officers have been gathering and reviewing CCTV footage from in and around the neighbourhood as the probe continues.

Additional patrols have also been mobilised to the area, and anyone with information or concerns can approach these officers.

Detective Inspector Lesley-Ann McGee said: “It was a warm, sunny day and there were lots of people out enjoying the weather in Saracen.

“I am asking them to get in touch with us with any information that could assist us in establishing the motive for this attack. If you saw, heard or know anything please contact us.

“I’m also asking people with dashcam or doorbell recording equipment to check for any footage that could assist our investigation.

“A family is mourning the loss of a loved one and it’s imperative we are able to answer how their loved one died.”