Piran Ditta Khan, the man convicted of murdering police officer Sharon Beshenivsky, has died in prison from lung cancer. His death occurred less than a year after he was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in jail for his role in the 2005 armed robbery that led to her death.

Khan, aged 76, passed away on February 21 at Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire. An inquest into his death was opened by Assistant Coroner John Hobson at Wakefield Coroner's Court. Khan was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in June 2024 and had been undergoing chemotherapy.

On February 3, he was admitted to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield due to "stroke-like symptoms." Medical examinations revealed that the cancer had metastasised to his brain. After eight days in the hospital, he was moved to the prison's medical wing, where he received palliative care until his death.

The coroner confirmed that the cause of death was bronchial pneumonia, which was linked to multiple cerebral infarctions associated with lung cancer. The inquest hearing was brief and has been adjourned, with a full inquest scheduled for a later date.

PC Beshenivsky was tragically murdered on her daughter's fourth birthday while responding to a robbery at the Universal Express travel agents in Bradford. At the time of the incident in November 2005, Khan was 57 years old and fled to Pakistan shortly after the shooting. He evaded capture for nearly 15 years before being arrested in January 2020 and extradited to the UK in 2023.

In April 2024, Khan was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of murdering PC Beshenivsky, along with multiple firearm-related charges. During sentencing, Mr Justice Hilliard remarked that Khan would spend the rest of his life in custody due to the severity of his crimes.

Paul Beshenivsky, the husband of the slain officer, expressed the profound impact of her loss, stating, "The way we lost Sharon was in the most brutal, callous and futile way. She never came home due to the actions and organisation of one person - Piran Ditta Khan."

Khan's conviction marked the conclusion of legal proceedings against all seven men involved in the robbery, with him being the last to be sentenced.