THE father of Sara Sharif has taken "full responsibility" for the death of the 10-year-old British Pakistani girl, the court heard.
During testimony at the Old Bailey on Wednesday (13th), 42-year-old Urfan Sharif admitted that Sara died "because of him."
His confession came under cross-examination, where he reversed his previous claims that his wife, Beinash Batool, 30, was to blame.
In court, Urfan acknowledged his previous confessions regarding Sara's death, saying, "I admit what I said in my phone call and my written note. Every single word."
During cross-examination by Caroline Carberry KC, representing Batool, Sharif interrupted to say, "I want to say something." Carberry pressed him directly: "It was you who inflicted those injuries on her, wasn’t it?" Sharif responded, "Yes."
Sara Sharif’s father Urfan Sharif and his partner Beinash Batool (Image credit: Surrey Police)She continued, asking, "On the night of 6 August, you badly beat Sara?" to which he again replied, "Yes." Sharif went on to confirm that he caused fractures to Sara’s body, using a cricket bat and metal pole to strike her.
At this point, Batool, who had been sobbing in court, abruptly left, and the hearing was temporarily paused.
Sara was found dead at the family home in Woking, Surrey, on 10 August last year after the defendants fled to Pakistan. The 10-year-old suffered dozens of injuries including human bite marks and iron burns, jurors have heard.
Her death has captivated public attention, with disturbing evidence emerging of prolonged abuse.
Urfan, Batool, and Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, formerly of Hammond Road, Woking, deny Sara’s murder and causing or allowing her death.
During initial police investigations, Sara’s post-mortem examination revealed severe injuries consistent with prolonged physical abuse. Jurors heard that her body bore dozens of bruises, fractures, probable human bite marks, burns from an iron, and scalding from hot water.
The court heard evidence of a note Urfan left beside Sara’s body before the family’s departure to Pakistan. Written in haste, the note read, “I killed my daughter by beating.”
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC shared that in addition to the injuries detailed in the post-mortem, investigators found a bloodstained cricket bat, a metal pole, and a rolling pin bearing Sara’s DNA near the family’s outhouse. Additional items, including a belt and rope, were also located in the home.
The trial continues, with the court working through extensive evidence and testimonies surrounding Sara’s final days.
