Sara Sharif’s father tells court 10-year-old’s death was ‘all my fault’

Sara Sharif's father confessed in court that he accepts complete responsibility for the death of his 10-year-old daughter. He also acknowledged hitting her in the stomach with a metal pole while she was in her final moments.

Urfan Sharif confessed to strangling Sara and assaulting her with a cricket bat during the weeks leading up to her death, while her wrists and ankles were taped up. He informed the jury that he was fully aware of and accepted everything he said to the police in a 999 call, as well as in a written confession following his daughter’s passing.

In the course of questioning by Caroline Carberry KC, the lawyer representing his wife, Beinash Batool, he was asked, “Did you cause your daughter's death through beating her?” He responded, “Yes, her death was my fault.”

He confessed to having physically abused Sara "harshly" over several weeks because he was upset that the young girl had begun to lose control of her bladder and was vomiting.

Sharif, 42, Batool, 30, and Sharif's brother Faisal Malik, 29, are facing trial for allegedly engaging in a brutal "campaign of abuse" prior to Sara being discovered deceased in a bunk bed at their family residence in Surrey on August 10, 2023.

The accused are said to have taken Sara's life on August 8 before escaping to Pakistan. From there, Sharif contacted the authorities, admitting he had "hit her too hard." Nearby her fully clothed body, he left a note that claimed: "I promise to God that I never meant to kill her. I just lost control."

During the autopsy, it was revealed that Sara had suffered multiple fractures and had a total of 71 external injuries, such as burns and bite marks from a human. Throughout his time testifying at the Old Bailey, Sharif consistently claimed he was not responsible for Sara's death. However, on the third day of cross-examination, he stated, "I have something I want to add."

He continued by stating, "I take full responsibility for everything. I hope the court will take into account my complete statement and confession. I acknowledge everything I mentioned in my phone call and in my written note, every last word of it."

Carberry questioned: “In the days leading up to her death, she experienced several fractures in her body, didn’t she? And you were the one who caused those injuries, correct?”

Sharif answered, "Yes, ma'am," but he rejected the claims that he had caused burns, bite marks, or bruises on the head and face. When Carberry asked if viewing an image of the injuries would be helpful, Sharif responded, "No, I can't look at that."

He confessed to using a cricket bat and a white metal pole to cause several fractures and noticeable bruises on Sara's body, but he claimed he was unaware of the neck injury that resulted in the schoolgirl's hyoid bone being broken.

Carberry inquired about a video presented to the jurors, where Sara is seen dancing just two days prior to her supposed murder. She remarked, "She was moving and dancing in front of the TV, and then something occurred to her afterward. I'm going to propose that what happened next, on the evening of August 6, is that you severely injured your daughter. Do you acknowledge that?" His response was, "I acknowledge everything."

Batool stepped away from the dock in tears, leading to a temporary pause in the trial. When Sharif came back to testify, he acknowledged his complete accountability for Sara's death, admitting that he killed her through physical violence and that he had intended to inflict significant injury during the attacks.

Carberry went on to say, "You have entered a not guilty plea regarding the murder charge. Would you like me to restate that charge?" He responded, "Yes, ma'am."

Sharif explained to the jurors that he disagreed with the accusation of murder. He insisted that he never meant to kill Sara and claimed that his intentions behind the physical punishment were simply to discipline her.

He confessed to striking Sara in the face in March 2023 after she was unwell at the breakfast table, preventing her from attending school due to her visible injuries. He also acknowledged that he resorted to homeschooling her following an incident of violence in April 2023.

Sharif mentioned that he started striking Sara on the head with a cell phone about three or four weeks prior to her death. He also indicated that he began using a cricket bat and a metal pole two or three weeks before she was killed. He admitted to having squeezed Sara's neck several times but was unable to recall the specific instances.

Sharif acknowledged that he struck Sara while her wrists and ankles were restrained with brown packing tape. Carberry continued, asking, "Do you admit to hitting her with the pole and the cricket bat when she was unable to move her arms or legs?" He answered, "Yes, ma'am."

Sharif later claimed that he didn’t assault Sara on August 6, but he did acknowledge striking her when she was close to death two days after that.

Carberry claimed that when Sharif returned home on August 8, he picked up a metal pole after receiving a call from Batool informing him that there was an issue with Sara.

Carberry noted, “You told Beinash that Sara was merely putting on an act and that she was just being dramatic. I believe you took the metal pole you had brought upstairs and hit her a few times in the stomach, right?”

Sharif consented but insisted that the pole was already on the upper floor. Carberry stated that Sharif disregarded Batool’s requests to summon an ambulance, remarking, “It was obvious that Sara was extremely ill and, as we know now, in the process of dying.”

All three accused individuals have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and to causing or permitting the death of a child from December 16, 2022, to August 9, 2023. The trial is still ongoing.