CCTV footage of moment PC Sharon Beshenivsky is shot

Piran Ditta Khan, 75, of no fixed abode was found guilty of murdering the 38-year-old officer at Leeds Crown Court today after a trial which began on February 12 this year.

PC Beshenivsky, who had only been in the role for nine months at the time, responded to a panic alarm which had been triggered at Universal Express Travel, in Morley Street, with her colleague, PC Teresa Milburn on November 18, 2005.

The jury were told early in the trial that an armed robbery was underway at the premises.

Muzzaker Imtiaz Shah, Mustaf Jama, and brother Yusuf Jama were the three members of a seven-strong gang who were tasked with going inside, carrying a MAC-10 machine gun, 9mm self-loading pistol, large kitchen knife, and cable ties inside a laptop bag, the court heard.

Khan was the person who orchestrated the robbery and Robert Smith KC, for prosecution, said the leader known as "Uncle" to the gang was aware loaded firearms were being carried.

The vehicle PC Sharon Beshenivsky and PC Teresa Milburn arrived in, parked opposite Universal Express Travel (Image: West Yorkshire Police)

The two police officers parked up opposite Universal Express and went over to the premises at around 3.30pm, just half-an-hour before their shift was due to end.

Within 30 seconds both had been shot "at almost point blank range" by one of the three men.

The jury were shown a number of CCTV clips during the trial, including footage of the police car containing PC Beshenivsky and PC Milburn pulling up, and the moment both officers are shot.

Both officers were unarmed and "neither presented any effective threat to the three men", the court heard.

PC Milburn later described seeing the door open to Universal Express as they approached the entrance and an Asian man stretching out his hand in front of him and pointing it towards her colleague.

Mr Smith said: “After this man shot Sharon Beshenivsky, Teresa Milburn saw him move his pistol towards her.

"She heard a bang and felt immense pain. She knew immediately she had been shot.”

The court heard PC Beshenivsky’s injury was immediately fatal.

PC Milburn, who activated her personal radio and called for help as she was coughing up blood, survived her injuries after hospital treatment.

Police picture from outside Universal Express Travel after the shooting (Image: West Yorkshire Police)

All three armed robbers can be seen in the CCTV fleeing the scene after the shooting, before they escaped in a getaway car, which they had arrived in earlier.

While running across the road, the gunman fired "indiscriminately” into the street, the court heard.

Khan was sitting in the safety of a lookout car eating sandwiches as the tragedy unfolded.

Khan was also found guilty of two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon. 

He pleaded guilty to robbery.