Man arrested for killing PC Sharon after a 15-year hunt
THE widower of a police officer shot dead 15 years ago said her murder suspect’s arrest last night may finally give him closure.
West Yorkshire PC Sharon Beshenivsky, 38, was gunned down on November 18, 2005, while responding to a robbery at a travel agents in Bradford.
In 2006, Muzzaker Shah, Mustaf Jama and brother Yusuf Jama were jailed for life for their part in her death, but fourth suspect Piran Ditta Khan was never tracked down.
On Tuesday, Khan, now 71, was arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of murder after fleeing Britain with a £20,000 bounty on his head.
He appeared in an Islamabad court where extradition was discussed. Khan was remanded in custody to next appear in court on January 29.
Yesterday, Sharon’s husband Paul Beshenivsky welcomed the arrest but feared their children will suffer with the case back into the spotlight.
He said: “From my view, it will give me a bit of closure.
“When something is still happening in your mind and periodically you get told from police that they’re still looking for him, which is great. But you’ve not forgotten about it – might have got him, might not have got him. I heard about it yesterday and I was told it was 90 per cent that it was him.
“This morning they confirmed that it is him and he’s being held in custody in Pakistan.
“It could take another week or two to extradite him. At last they’ve got him. It’s 2005 to now to get him.”
While an arrest after such a long time comes with a sense of relief, the family will still have to relive some painful memories in the aftermath.
Mr Beshenivsky said:
“There will be a court case and it will all be coming to light again.
“That brings it all back to light, especially with the kids. My daughter just rang me about it and she told me about it.
“Obviously it’s not very nice.You try to get on with your life.
“It doesn’t give you total closure, like now it just goes through your mind and the kids are going to be suffering.
“I’m having to deal with it. I’ve remarried, but you’re never going to forget. It’s Groundhog Day.”
PC Beshenivsky became the seventh serving female officer ever to be killed in the line of duty in Britain.
She was the mother of three children and two step-children and killed on the day of her youngest daughter’s fourth birthday. The armed gang had robbed a travel agents in Bradford city centre. PC Beshenivsky was shot dead by a machine gun at pointblank range as they fled the scene. She was with her colleague
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PC Teresa Milburn when shot. PC Milburn was seriously injured but survived.
Last night Detective Superintendant Mark Swift, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “I would like to thank National Crime Agency officers in Pakistan and partners who made this arrest possible.
“This is a major development in this long-running investigation and their assistance in this matter cannot be understated.
“We are continuing to liaise with partners in Pakistan to process Khan’s extradition with the intention of returning him to the UK to face court proceedings.”