PC murder case officer 'advised'

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A senior counter-terrorism officer in the Metropolitan Police has been the subject of an internal probe after the murder of Pc Sharon Beshenivsky.

It was alleged Supt Chula Rupasinha failed to pass on important information about the case, New Scotland Yard said.

A police spokesman said: "The matter has been concluded and the officer has been given words of advice."

The woman officer was shot and killed in November 2005 as she arrived at a robbery at a Bradford travel agents.

Pc Beshenivsky was shot during a bungled robbery

Last week, Raza ul Haq Aslam was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court of taking part in the robbery after he was cleared of the Pc's murder at an earlier trial.

Supt Rupasinha gave evidence as a defence witness for Aslam on both occasions.

During the previous trial he told the court that Aslam, a neighbour he had known for a decade, approached him and offered to help police anonymously.

Supt Rupasinha said he advised Aslam to ring the confidential Crimestoppers hotline after failing to convince him to contact West Yorkshire Police directly, or to become an official informant.

The officer suggested that Aslam could claim reward money for helping the investigation, the court heard.

Acted differently

He said that Aslam made him believe his information came from someone he knew was at the scene or was "one step removed".

Aslam denied being in Bradford or at the scene, and merely said he had been "in the North", he added.

When asked if he would have acted differently had Aslam told him he had been in the convoy to Bradford, Supt Rupasinha said: "I would have arrested him."

Aslam, of St Pancras Way, Kentish Town, north London, had denied robbery during both trials.

He was convicted of a single charge of robbery and is awaiting sentence.

Pc Beshenivsky, 38, was gunned down as the gang fled the travel agency and her colleague, Pc Teresa Milburn, 37, was also shot and seriously wounded.