Sara Sharif trial latest: Father admits ‘she died because of me’ but denies murder
Video from police body cameras on the night Sara Sharif's body was found.
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Sara Sharif's father has informed the jury that he "accepts complete responsibility" for the death of his 10-year-old daughter, which occurred after he severely assaulted her. He is currently facing trial for her murder.
In a striking revelation at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, Urfan Sharif, 42, acknowledged to the jury, “I take responsibility for everything,” as his wife and co-defendant, Beinash Batool, broke down in tears from her place in the dock.
The taxi driver admitted to striking the schoolgirl with a cricket bat while she was restrained with packaging tape. He also acknowledged that he choked her multiple times with his hands and hit her with a metal pole while she was on the ground and in critical condition.
He maintains his innocence regarding her murder, telling the court, "Her death was my fault. I never intended to take her life."
In the early hours of August 10 last year, Sharif reached out to Surrey Police after escaping to Pakistan, admitting that he had physically punished his daughter excessively because she had been "disobedient," and revealed that she had passed away.
Earlier, Sharif attempted to hold Batool responsible for the death of Sara, who was discovered lifeless in a bunk bed at their family home in Woking, Surrey. The court was informed that Sara had suffered from numerous severe injuries, including bite marks and burns from iron.
Sharif, Batool, and their uncle Faisal Malik, who is 29 years old, all previously lived on Hammond Road in Woking, Surrey. They are pleading not guilty to charges of murder and to causing or permitting the death of the 10-year-old. The trial is still ongoing.
Court Reveals Sara Sharif's Stepmother Faced 'Honour Abuse'
In court, it was revealed that Sara Sharif's father was drawn to her stepmother due to her status as a young, vulnerable individual who had suffered from "honor-based abuse."
Urfan Sharif, a 42-year-old taxi driver, is currently facing trial for the murder of Sara. He is joined in the proceedings by his 30-year-old wife, Beinash Batool, and his 29-year-old brother, Faisal Malik.
On Tuesday, Batool's attorney dismissed Sharif's assertion that she had been aggressive towards Sara, stating instead that he was the one exhibiting controlling, abusive, and manipulative behavior.
Check out the complete article here:
Holly Evans, November 14, 2024, at 9:40 AM.
Sharif To Jury: “I Never Intended To Kill Her”
Following his intense confession on Wednesday, Sharif requested that the murder charge against him be presented once more. However, after a lunch break, he seemed to rethink his position and maintained that he was innocent.
He stated to the jury, “I had no intention of hurting her. I didn't mean to cause her any harm.”
Ms. Carberry replied, "But you did hurt her. What were you thinking when you used a cricket bat against a 10-year-old girl?"
The accused admitted, "I made a mistake. I wasn't thinking clearly."
Ms. Carberry inquired, "Do you acknowledge that you were the one who killed her?"
Sharif expressed, “Her death was my responsibility. I never intended to harm her.”
Holly Evans, November 14, 2024, at 9:20 AM
The Family Home Where Sara Sharif Died
Holly Evans, November 14, 2024, at 9:01 AM
Sara Sharif: What Happened? A Quick Recap
Sara was discovered deceased in a bunk bed at her family's residence in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 of last year, just one day after her father, stepmother, and uncle had left for Pakistan.
When Urfan Sharif arrived in Islamabad, he called the police and confessed to having beaten Sara excessively. He also left a written note on a pillow next to her body.
An autopsy revealed that she had endured numerous injuries, with at least 25 fractured bones, bite marks from a human, and burns on her rear and feet.
The accused were taken into custody on a flight at Gatwick Airport when they came back to the UK on September 13 of last year.
Holly Evans, November 14, 2024, at 8:51 AM.
Video Shows Police Detaining Sara Sharif's Family
Holly Evans on November 14, 2024, at 8:33 AM
Urfan Sharif Confirms He Beat His Dying Daughter
Sara Sharif’s father has confessed to violently attacking the 10-year-old, stating that he struck her with a metal pole while she was in a critical condition.
While the schoolgirl was lying helpless and fading in her stepmother Beinash Batool's lap on August 8, Urfan Sharif continued his long-standing pattern of mistreatment, as the jurors were informed.
On that day, Sharif confessed that he took a pole with him for protection after Batool asked him to come home.
Defense attorney Caroline Carberry KC, representing Batool, stated: “Upon entering the room, it was evident that Sara required medical assistance.”
You told Beinash that Sara was only putting on an act. Then, you took the metal pole you had brought upstairs and hit her a few times in the stomach while she was lying there feeling very sick.
Sharif consented and broke down in tears while sitting in the witness stand.
Tara Cobham, November 14, 2024, 8:00 AM
Sharif Confesses To Beating Daughter After Taping Her
The Old Bailey was informed that in the weeks leading up to her death in August 2023, Urfan Sharif sometimes restrained his daughter with tape before physically assaulting her with a pole or a cricket bat.
He was asked if he had taped Sara up, and he replied, "Yes, ma'am."
When asked if he had utilized the brown packing tape that was purchased through the family's Amazon account that July, he replied, "Yes, ma'am."
Caroline Carberry KC, representing Beinash Batool, questioned Sharif about whether he had compelled Sara to perform squats while her ankles and wrists were taped up. Sharif responded, “No, ma’am. That’s not true.”
Sharif later mentioned, "I did hit her with a pole, but I didn’t do any sit-ups or squats."
He rejected the idea that he restrained Sara to prevent her from escaping or defending herself.
Holly Evans, November 14, 2024, 07:46 AM
Father Confesses To Killing Sara Sharif But Denies Murder
Sara Sharif's father has admitted to taking the life of his 10-year-old daughter, but he claims he never intended to cause her any harm while still rejecting the idea that he murdered her.
Urfan Sharif, a 42-year-old taxi driver, attempted to hold his daughter Sara's stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, responsible for a series of injuries. He argued that he was away at work while his daughter was suffering abuse.
During the seventh day of his testimony at the Old Bailey, he informed the jurors that he accepts “full responsibility” for the events that transpired, but he did not mean to harm his daughter.
He later confessed to striking Sara with a cricket bat while she was tied up with packing tape.
He choked her multiple times with his hands, causing the hyoid bone in her neck to fracture, and hit her on the head with a cell phone, he stated.
He refuted the claims that he scorched her buttocks with a hot iron, bit her arm, or wrapped a belt tightly around her neck, as stated in court at the Old Bailey.
Tara Cobham wrote on November 14, 2024, at 7:00 AM.
