What we know about Sara Sharif's murder
Sara's body was discovered at her home in Woking, Surrey. Her father, Urfan Sharif, stepmother Beinash Batool and uncle Faisal Malik are accused of her murder.
The father of Sara Sharif has denied beating the 10-year-old, instead claiming her stepmother was "crazy" as if "someone had done black magic on her", a court has heard.
Sara was found dead at her home in Woking, Surrey, on 10 August last year, with multiple injuries.
Her father Urfan Sharif, 42, her stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 29, have denied murdering Sara and causing or allowing the death of a child between 16 December 2022 and 9 August 2023.
On Wednesday, Sharif gave evidence during their trial at the Old Bailey in London, and denied beating his daughter and accused Batool of being the "crazy" one in the house.
“Everything happened at home while I was at work," said Sharif. “I did not beat her, do anything to her.”
Sharif said Batool was “very, very crazy”, and claimed video evidence showed she had abused him and forced him to jump out of a window to escape.
Jurors were shown two video clips from Sharif’s Google drive, allegedly filmed as evidence of Batool’s abusive behaviour towards him.
“I used to jump through the kitchen window as she would lock the front door," said Sharif. “Most of the time when she was angry I jumped through the living room window.”
Sharif said Batool's family told him "someone has done black magic on her".
Sara was found dead in bed at her home after Sharif called police from Pakistan to report he had beaten her “too much”, the court heard previously. Earlier in the trial, jurors were shown footage of the three accused being arrested as they arrived back into the UK at Gatwick Airport – the defendants travelled to Pakistan on 9 August 2023, the day before Sara's body was found by police.
A post-mortem examination found dozens of injuries on Sara's body, including burns and human bite marks.
The trial continues.
Injuries 'inflicted over several weeks'
The trial heard previously that there were "multiple unexplained fractures in 25 locations" on Sara's body, including a fracture to a bone in her neck, the vertebrae in her spine and in her hand.
There were also fractures to Sara’s right clavicle, both shoulder blades, ribs and right elbow, the court heard.
A doctor told the court the most likely explanation for the injuries was "multiple episodes of blunt force trauma inflicted over several weeks”.
Jurors were told she also suffered bleeding on the brain and bruises on her lungs.
The court has also heard that Sara suffered “probable human bite marks”, a burn from a domestic iron and scalding from hot water.
Traces of her blood were discovered on the kitchen floor, a vacuum cleaner and a cricket bat following a police search of the family home, along with “homemade hoods” used to restrain her, the prosecution said.
Sara Sharif: Key moments from the trial
Sara Sharif’s father called police from Pakistan to say he ‘legally punished her and she died’ (The Telegraph)
Sara Sharif hooded and beaten during two years of abuse, murder trial told (PA Media)
Father of Sara Sharif left chilling note saying he 'lost it' and beat 10-year-old to death, court told (Evening Standard)
Sara Sharif had more than 70 injuries including ‘gaping wound’ to head, court is told (The Telegraph)
Sara Sharif showed signs of starvation and suffered broken bone in neck weeks before death, jury told (The Independent)
Who was Sara Sharif?
Sara was born on 11 January, 2013 in Slough, Berkshire, to Polish mother Olga Domin and father Urfan Sharif, a taxi driver who moved from Pakistan to the UK in 2001.
The couple had married in 2009 but separated in 2015 and then divorced, with Sara living with her mother until custody was awarded to Sharif in 2019.
She then lived with her father, her stepmother Batool, the couple's four children and her uncle, Malik, in Woking.
Timeline of events
2023
9 August
Urfan Sharif, his partner Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik travel to Islamabad, Pakistan.
10 August
The body of Sara Sharif, 10, is found at the family's home in Woking, Surrey. A murder investigation is launched.
15 August
A post-mortem examination shows Sara suffered “multiple and extensive” injuries likely to have been caused over a “sustained and extended” period of time.
18 August
Surrey Police say they would like to speak to Sharif, Batool and Malik in relation to the investigation.
20 August
Surrey County Council confirms Sara was known to the local authority.
29 August
An inquest into Sara’s death is opened at Surrey Coroner’s Court and hears the precise cause of her death is “not yet ascertained”.
13 September
Sharif, Batool and Malik land in the UK at Gatwick Airport on a flight from Pakistan via Dubai, and are arrested on suspicion of murder immediately after leaving the plane.
15 September
Surrey Police says the trio have been charged with Sara's murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.
14 December
The trio plead not guilty to murder and causing or allowing the death of a child and are remanded into custody.
2024
14 October
The trial at the Old Bailey in London begins and is expected to last two months.
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