PC Sharon Beshenivsky: Murder accused visited brothel before shooting

PC Sharon Beshenivsky was shot dead while responding to reports of a robbery in Bradford in 2005

The man accused of murdering PC Sharon Beshenivsky spent the night before her death partying and visiting a brothel, a court has heard.

The officer was killed in Bradford on 18 November 2005 as she and a colleague responded to reports of a robbery.

Piran Ditta Khan, 75, who was extradited from Pakistan last year, denies murder and firearm offences.

Prosecutors claim he orchestrated the robbery and is therefore equally responsible for the officer's murder.

PC Beshenivsky was 38 when she was killed outside Universal Express travel agent in Morley Street, Bradford.

She had only been an officer for nine months when she was shot in the chest at point blank range by one of three men fleeing the scene of the robbery.

Her colleauge PC Teresa Milburn was also injured but survived.

Prosecutors have said seven men had been involved in planning and carrying out the raid, with Mr Khan the last of the group to face trial.

The court heard members of the gang used a house on Harehills Lane in Leeds as a base the night before the robbery, travelling in three cars to Bradford the following day.

Francois Baron, who was working on renovating the house, said Mr Khan arrived at the house the day before the robbery along with Faisal Razzaq, who was later convicted of manslaughter.

He said Mr Khan was known to the group by the name "Uncle".

Piran Ditta Khan, 75, is on trial at Leeds Crown Court after being extradited from Pakistan last year

Mr Baron told police he saw Muzzaker Imtiaz Shah, one of three people previously convicted of PC Beshenivsky's murder, take a pistol and machine gun out of a bag before producing bullets.

Prosecutor Robert Smith KC said Faisal Razzaq, one of the robbers, "warned Baron never to speak about the gun and told him his life would be in danger if he did".

The group drank champagne and vodka before six men, including Mr Baron and Mr Khan, got a minibus to a brothel in Leeds, Mr Smith said.

He said Mr Baron had said Faisal Razzaq's brother Hassan Razzaq, who was also later convicted of manslaughter, gave the men £80 each in cash "to spend on entertainment and sex" before they returned to the house.

Mr Baron said he heard Muzzaker Shah asking the defendant: "Uncle, is it safe?"

Mr Khan was said to have replied: "Yes, it's safe. Genuine."

The men were told by the defendant they would get at least £50,000 in the raid on the shop and possibly £100,000.

Mr Smith said Mr Khan was the only one of the group who had this knowledge, and that he had used Universal Express before to send money to his brother in Pakistan.

Mr Baron said that when the group returned from the robbery he heard Shah telling Mr Khan that he had not told them there was a police station near where they were going.

The witness alleged the group later panicked when they saw PC Beshenivsky's death announced on the news.

Mr Khan flew to Pakistan and remained there until he was extradited to the UK in April 2023.

Prosecutors argue that although Khan was not one of the three men who carried out the robbery, he is guilty of PC Beshenivsky's murder due to his "pivotal" role in planning the raid.

The other men involved have since been convicted of offences including murder, manslaughter, robbery and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Mr Khan denies murder and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon.

The trial continues.