(Image: file)
One of the men convicted of killing a Bradford police officer started selling guns to criminals after being released from prison, a court has heard.
Pc Sharon Beshenivsky was aged 38 when she was killed on November 18, 2005 after she and a colleague responded to a report of a robbery at Universal Travel in Morley Street, in Bradford's west end.
The married mother of three was a probationer with only nine months’ service when she was killed.
Faisal Razzaq, who was jailed for his role in the death, began selling firearms to criminals across London after his release in 2017.
The 45-year-old had been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 11 years.
Man ran luxury car hire business
Prosecutor Alisdair Smith told Harrow Crown Court that Razzaq played a "central role" in a conspiracy to distribute prohibited firearms and ammunition after his release.
Mr Smith said: "He played a central role in the conspiracy, co-ordinating the obtaining and then distribution of prohibited firearms and lethal ammunition for his own financial gain, regardless of who he was supplying the firearms to or to what use they intended to put them."
Razzaq, who ran a luxury car hire business in Edgware, north London, was found to have been sourcing and selling guns to criminal contacts.
He is one of six people to be sentenced in connection with the firearms plot.
Man admits to selling guns
The court heard that Razzaq served part of his original sentence at HMP Ranby alongside co-defendant Robert Dorey between 2013 and 2015.
The conspiracy involved large quantities of firearms, with brothers Robert and Ricky Dorey supplying weapons to Razzaq for onward sale.
Razzaq pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell or transfer banned guns, possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life, and two counts of possessing a firearm and ammunition when banned.
Man to be sentenced next week
Police uncovered the conspiracy through a covert listening device placed in Razzaq’s vehicle, which recorded conversations about firearms transactions.
On August 21, Razzaq was heard telling an individual identified as JD that he intended to "sell some guns" that evening.
He told JD he had six weapons for sale, offering one for £4,000, and warned him to be careful about the buyer because: "If the person becomes his enemy one day, one of them bullets will be for you."
Razzaq also told Saleh that if the police tried to stop him, he should "just shoot at the car, shoot in the air," adding, "I don’t care where you shoot but you’ve got to shoot bro."
A search of Razzaq’s home on Buckingham Road on September 2 uncovered a pistol and eight rounds of ammunition.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 23.