'Mastermind' of gang who robbed travel agent was 'friend' of the business
A takeaway boss accused of leading a raid on a travel agent that ended with a police officer being shot dead was a “friend” of the business, a court heard.
Piran Ditta Khan, 75, is the alleged mastermind of an armed robbery in which PC Sharon Beshenivsky died on November 18, 2005. Her colleague, PC Teresa Milburn, 37, was seriously injured after the robbers fled, firing “indiscriminately”, a jury heard.
Khan is the last of seven men to go on trial over the raid after being extradited from Pakistan last April. The prosecution argued he was the “organiser” as he knew the business kept large quantities of cash on the premises. Travel agent Mohammad Ishaque told Leeds crown court he had worked at Universal Travel Express, Bradford, for 15 years until 2004.
He confirmed he knew Khan and said he and his family would visit the business “very regularly” to transfer money to Pakistan. He said: “[Khan] was part of the family there and they would come in and we were on friendly terms with them. We knew the family for a long time and we considered him [Khan] to be a friend.”
Pc Sharon Beshenivsky (PA)The court heard Universal Travel Express records first showed Khan having used the business in January 2002. The last time was ten months before the robbery, on January 28, 2005.
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On the afternoon of the raid, PC Beshenivsky, a married mum-of-three, and PC Milburn raced to the scene after a member of staff tripped a silent alarm. Khan denies murder and possessing weapons with intent to endanger life. The trial continues.
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