Sara Sharif: Father admitted killing daughter in police call, court hears

Dad Admits To Killing Sara Sharif, Court Says

Sara Sharif's remains were discovered in her residence located in Woking on August 10 of the previous year.

According to court testimonies, the father of 10-year-old Sara Sharif contacted the police from Pakistan and confessed to her murder at their home in Surrey.

Urfan Sharif admitted to the situation during an eight-minute phone call approximately an hour after his family's arrival in Islamabad on August 10 of last year, prior to the discovery of Sara's body.

Mr. Sharif, 42, along with Sara's stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 29, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of the girl during proceedings at the Old Bailey.

The jurors were informed that Mr. Sharif's argument was that Ms. Batool bore the responsibility for Sara's death, and that his admissions made during a phone conversation and in a written note were untrue, intended to shield her from blame.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC informed the court that Sara had endured brutal attacks for "weeks and weeks, at the very least," as he outlined the various injuries she had sustained.

He stated that Sara suffered from both external and internal wounds, which included significant bruising, burns, and fractures, both recent and old.

According to the prosecution, she sustained burns on her backside from a household iron and had six possible bite marks on her arms and legs that likely came from a human.

The court was informed that dental impressions eliminated the possibility that the bite marks were made by the male defendants; however, Ms. Batool had declined to provide those impressions.

Sara sustained injuries to her ribs, shoulder blades, and fingers, along with 11 different fractures in her spine. Additionally, there were indications of a traumatic brain injury, according to the prosecution.

Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool, and Faisal Malik are all facing two charges in connection with the death of Sara Sharif.

Mr. Sharif contacted Surrey Police from Pakistan, where the family had escaped, and informed the operator that he had murdered his daughter.

The prosecutor mentioned that during an eight-minute and thirty-four-second call, Mr. Sharif informed the operator that he had "lawfully punished her" and that she had died as a result.

During the subsequent police call, it was reported that Sara's father informed the operator that Sara had misbehaved, and as a result, he physically punished her, according to the testimony given to the jurors.

"I never meant to take her life; I just hit her too hard," Mr. Sharif told the operator, according to the prosecutor.

Nonetheless, Mr. Emlyn Jones KC remarked, “Sara didn't merely experience physical violence. The way she was treated, especially in the final weeks of her life, was shocking and inhumane.”

The court was informed that there was a note in Urfan Sharif's handwriting found next to Sara's body.

Mr. Emlyn Jones KC stated that the note said: “To anyone who finds this, I am Urfan Sharif, and I am responsible for my daughter's death due to physical abuse. I am fleeing out of fear, but I promise to turn myself in and accept the consequences.”

"I promise that I never meant to take her life; I just lost control."

Mr. Emlyn Jones KC remarked, "Just like in the 999 call, the note seems to indicate a confession to causing Sara's death through violent actions."

The jurors were informed that law enforcement discovered Sara's body on the lower bunk of a bed, covered as if she were peacefully sleeping.

"But she wasn't merely sleeping; she was deceased," Mr. Emlyn Jones KC informed the jury.

The three individuals accused, who were living with Sara prior to her passing in August of last year, are also facing charges of either causing or permitting a child's death, which they refute.

Mr. Emlyn Jones KC stated that each defendant was trying to shift the responsibility onto one or both of the others.

The prosecution argued that it was "unthinkable" for any of the adults to have committed the abuse on their own, asserting that they must have had the support, involvement, and encouragement of each other.

"None of them ever informed any external organizations about Sara's mistreatment, which could have stepped in to help," Mr. Emlyn Jones KC stated.