The mastermind behind an armed robbery that killed a police officer nearly 20 years ago has been found guilty of murder.

Piran Ditta Khan was convicted after police officer Sharon Beshenivsky was shot dead in November 2005 while preventing a raid on the family-run Global Express travel agency in Bradford, West Yorks.

She and her colleague, Officer Theresa Milburn, were unarmed and were shot at point-blank range as three men emerged from the store.

Khan fled the country for Pakistan two months later, where he remained until he was arrested in 2020 and extradited to the UK to face trial last year.

The 75-year-old is the last of seven men to be convicted for his role in the crime, in which Khan is said to have masterminded the plot as the leader of the group.

Although he did not leave the safety of his lookout vehicle during the raid, he played a “key” role in the planning and knew the loaded gun would be used.

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