24-07-2025
Sharon Beshenivksy gang look-out who served just 11 years of life sentence over PC's killing is sent back to prison for breaking release rules
An armed robber jailed for life for the notorious killing of PC Sharon Beshenivsky has been recalled to prison for breaching the terms of his release licence, MailOnline has learned.
Gang lookout Faisal Razzaq was given a life sentence in 2007 and told he must serve at least 11 years when he was found guilty of manslaughter at Newcastle Crown Court.
Razzaq, 43, was a key member of the gang who took part in the bungled armed robbery in Bradford on November 18 2005 that led to the death of PC Beshenivsky.
Her colleague, Pc Teresa Milburn, was also gunned down in the street and seriously wounded as the robbers escaped with just £5,000.
MailOnline can reveal that Razzaq, of Forest Gate, east London, was recalled to prison in September last year after breaching licence conditions.
It is not known what rules he broke.
PC Beshenivsky was shot outside the Universal Express travel agency in Bradford, west Yorkshire.
Razzaq was a lookout for the gang alongside his older brother Hassan, who was also found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for 20-years.
Faisal Razzaq was given a life sentence in 2007 and told he must serve at least 11 years when he was found guilty of manslaughter at Newcastle Crown Court
The brothers were cleared of murder at the same trial.
Newcastle Crown Court was told that Razzaq had conducted a reconnaissance trip from London on November 13 2005, five days before the fatal shooting.
He drove Piran Ditta Khan - the man known as uncle Pete, 'the architect of the robbery', who went on the run after the murder - first to Bradford and then to the house in Leeds where his brother Faisal was staying.
The brothers were also found guilty of robbery and a series of firearms offences.
Faisal Razzaq had seven-and-a-half-years added to his sentence in June 2007 for possession of firearms in 2004.
He was on bail for this offence when the murder took place.
The mastermind of the robbery, Piran Ditta Khan, fled to Pakistan and was arrested on 14 January 2020.
On 4 April 2024 he was found guilty of murder and on 10 May 2024, at Leeds Crown Court, he was sentenced to life, with a minimum term of 40 years.
Muzzaker Shah and Yusuf Jama, were sentenced to life in prison with minimum terms of 35 years in 2006 for the murder of PC Beshenivsky, robbery and firearms offences.
Speaking at the murder trial, PC Milburn said:'[We] didn't have a chance,' adding that her colleague 'stopped in terror' when she saw the gunman as she approached the door and was shot in the chest at point blank range before collapsing to the floor with an immediately fatal injury.
Pc Beshenivsky was shot in the chest and killed on her youngest daughter's fourth birthday.
She was the first woman police officer to be shot dead on duty since WPC Yvonne Fletcher was gunned down outside the Libyan embassy in London on April 17, 1984.
A spokesperson for HM Prison and Probation Service said: 'As this case shows, we do not hesitate to send offenders back to prison if they break the rules.'
In line with parole regulations, Razzaq had a hearing in November 2024 to consider whether the Probation Service had followed procedure and made the right decision.
Unusually, a single member of the Parole Board made the decision to uphold Razzaq's licence recall based solely on a reading of documentation about his return to jail and also time subsequently spent behind bars.
A spokesperson for the Parole Board said:'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board refused the release of Faisal Razzaq following a paper review.
The panel also refused to recommend a move to open prison.
'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.
'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.
'Under current legislation he will be eligible for a further review in due course. The date of the next review will be set by the Ministry of Justice.'
Razzaq caused outrage after he was first released in 2017 by celebrating with a Facebook post that read: 'Guess who's back?'
He later caused further offence when it emerged In April 2024 that he was now getting around in a £20,000 Mercedes C-Class.
When asked then if he felt any remorse for the death of 38-year-old PC Beshenivsky he said: 'Who told you I live here? Go away.'
