'She died because of me’ - five words that changed the Sara Sharif trial
Photo credit: BBC/Julia Quenzler
Sara's uncle Faisal Malik, her stepmother Beinash Batool, and her father Urfan Sharif all faced trial at the Old Bailey.
BBC News Reporter at the Central Criminal Court
On the morning of November 13, four weeks into the murder trial of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, a shocking moment unfolded that left jurors speechless and sent shockwaves through the courtroom at the Old Bailey.
On the seventh day of his testimony, Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, had just begun to speak in the witness stand when he suddenly trembled and said five words that would alter the direction of the trial.
"I am responsible for her death."
Up until that point, he had rejected nearly all accountability, choosing to place the blame for his daughter's death on his wife, Sara's stepmother. However, now he was abruptly accepting complete responsibility for what happened to his daughter.
It was the pivotal point of a two-month murder trial that was both unsettling and tragic for the jurors. They heard harrowing accounts of Sara’s brief, troubled existence—the abuse, the violence, the wounds—and witnessed the dramatic tension in the courtroom as the husband and wife turned against one another.
Caution: This article includes accounts of physical violence.
"Uncomfortably Close"
The trial started a little more than a year after Sara was discovered deceased in a bunk bed in her house, left by herself and deserted by her family.
In the glass-enclosed courtroom at London's Old Bailey sat the three individuals charged with her murder: Sara's father, Urfan Sharif; her stepmother, Beinash Batool; and her uncle, Faisal Malik. Although they were kept apart by court officers, I could imagine that they still felt uncomfortably close to one another.
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC stated at the beginning of the trial that a direct confrontation is developing between the defendants.
Sharif looked sharp in a white dress shirt and a black jacket. He appeared considerably slimmer than the photos we had seen of him. Batool sported gold-rimmed glasses and a mustard-colored jacket, with her hair pulled back.
During the weeks they were together in the dock, I never saw them look at each other. Most of the time, they kept their eyes straight ahead. Occasionally, they would glance down at piles of evidence.
On the days when Batool was the first to arrive, her husband had to pass very close to her to take his seat. They didn't glance at one another or exchange a single word.
Both would frequently weep, their cries echoing throughout the courtroom. On one occasion, the hearing had to be halted when Sharif, visibly distressed, left the stand.
From the witness stand, he labeled his wife as a "psycho," but eventually retracted his statement. At one point during his testimony, she shouted "liar" at him.
Image credit goes to Olga Domin.
The court was informed that Sara endured numerous devastating injuries.
The initial days of the trial were especially shocking. The prosecutor described Sara's treatment as harsh and severe.
X-ray images displayed on monitors revealed her broken bones. Computer-generated visuals illustrated the significant bruising across her body. "I’m sorry to say that you might find these graphic images disturbing," the prosecutor warned the jury.
Mr. Emlyn Jones KC guided us through a multitude of terrible injuries, both recent and long-standing. He detailed broken bones and rebroken ones, puncture wounds and scrapes, as well as burns, blisters, and bite marks.
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Sara sustained an injury to her abdomen and experienced a traumatic injury to her brain.
Just when we believed things couldn't get any more troubling, additional shocking and cruel evidence emerged, revealing that Sara had been blindfolded and repeatedly bound or restrained. The atmosphere in the courtroom was filled with an unsettling sense of dread.
During the trial, the prosecutor led us through the home in Woking, Surrey, where Sara resided and where her tragic death eventually occurred.
Image credit: BBC/Julia Quenzler
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC presented unsettling information regarding the numerous injuries sustained by Sara Sharif.
We viewed chilling video taken from a police officer's body camera that captured the moment they arrived and found her body. The officer who made the discovery described how he lifted the cover, revealing the lifeless form of a 10-year-old girl beneath.
Some witnesses testified while hidden behind a screen, keeping them away from both the defendants and the audience. Among them was Sara's elementary school teacher. It was Helen Simmons who first highlighted Sara's character during the trial.
She portrayed her former student as someone who was frequently cheerful and at times a bit cheeky. According to her, the girl truly thrived when she was on stage, singing and performing.
The trial was filled with many touching moments.
In one clip, we witnessed Sara dancing at home just two days prior to her passing. Batool was visibly emotional when it was shown. In another video, we could hear Sara’s laughter as she spent a joyful day playing with other kids in the garden, two months before her death.
From Shock To Horror: A Gripping Journey
A little more than three weeks into the trial, Sharif’s lawyer, Naeem Mian KC, rose to speak.
“What’s about to unfold,” he stated, “is that Mr. Sharif will embark on what can be described as the longest journey of his life, moving from the dock to the witness stand.” A hush swept over the courtroom.
Sara's dad, who was of a lean build and wearing a white fleece sweater and jeans, came through the dock door and walked down the three steps into the courtroom.
As he approached the witness stand, he appeared visibly distressed, taking tissues from the box beside him. After sitting down, his lawyer gently guided him through his account of what happened. He spoke softly and occasionally mumbled his words.
For the following six days, Sharif insisted that he was not responsible for his daughter's death. While he acknowledged that he had slapped Sara, he rejected the idea that he had ever physically abused her. Instead, he put all the responsibility on his wife, claiming he was never around when the abuse took place. It became clear that he was a remarkably good liar.
While testifying, he was extremely emotional and broke down several times, often having difficulty expressing himself. "My Sara," he repeatedly said. Through his tears, he reminisced about his "lovely angel," sharing that her favorite dish was chicken biriyani and her favorite color was pink.
“Were you fond of her?” the lawyer inquired. “Yes,” Sharif answered.
When his daughter passed away in his embrace, he described feeling "numb." "I was devastated. It felt like the entire world had come crashing down on me."
As he attempted to persuade the jury, his delivery came across as scripted.
On the second day of Sharif's testimony, there was a powerful moment. With his voice elevated and filled with emotion, he directed his gaze at his wife in the courtroom and referred to her as “crazy” and “wicked.”
It was during the intense questioning by his wife's lawyer that Sharif finally broke down.
Caroline Carberry KC brought to light his history, including former partners he reportedly threatened to kill and past incidents of false imprisonment for which he was never charged.
"You are a deceitful, manipulative, and domineering individual," Ms. Carberry KC continued.
She had him answer her questions and challenged him when he directed his attention back to her client in the courtroom.
Photo credit: BBC/Julia Quenzler
Urfan Sharif at the Central Criminal Court
On the seventh day of his testimony, everything took a turn.
Sharif was being asked about why he wasn't present for the birth of one of his children. He attempted to cut in and speak over her, but she continued to press him for answers.
In the end, he succeeded in speaking up. “I have something to say.”
"I fully stand by everything I expressed in my phone call and in my written message; I mean every word of it."
Everyone paused for a moment to process his words.
Ms. Carberry KC then took the initiative, picking up the note he had written and left by his daughter’s body. She began to examine it carefully, looking at each line one by one.
"Did you cause your daughter's death through physical violence?" he answered, "Yes, it was my fault. She died because of my actions."
"You were the one who caused those wounds, weren't you?" "Yes," he replied.
“Are you admitting to causing the breaks?” “Yes, ma'am.” “Did you use the cricket bat in the process?” “Yes, ma'am.” “Did you also use the silver metal rod?” “Yes, ma'am.”
Astonishment quickly gave way to disbelief, which then escalated to revulsion as he consented to increasingly brutal actions. Some of the jurors sat in stunned silence, their mouths agape.
"I accept complete accountability for all of it," he stated.
He was trembling and in tears. Batool was weeping from her place in the courtroom.
Even Sharif's lawyer was left completely stunned. "I had no clue he was going to take that action. You can only imagine how I felt when it actually happened," he later recounted to the jury.
Eventually, Batool left the courtroom in tears, leading to the hearing being put on hold. Later, some of the jurors were also spotted visibly upset.
Sharif kept insisting that he was not responsible for the burn and bite marks on Sara.
Ms. Carberry KC inquired whether Sharif would like to have the murder charge presented to him once more.
"Certainly," he replied, just before his lawyer stepped in to request a moment alone with him.
When the court resumed, Sharif stated that he did not acknowledge his guilt in the murder case. "I never meant to take her life," he expressed.
"How Low Will You Go?"
Sharif was in the witness stand for nine days. We may never understand what caused him to break down in the end. Was it the strain of maintaining his many falsehoods, or did he come to the realization that escape was impossible?
The jury never had the chance to hear from Sara's stepmother. Batool chose not to testify, leaving us without her explanation for why she didn't provide dental impressions that could have been compared to the bite marks discovered on Sara. Both Sharif and Malik were confirmed not to be a match.
We may never find out who was responsible for the iron burn on Sara's bottom. Sharif maintained that he wasn't the one to blame.
One day, the prosecutor proposed that it would require two individuals to restrain Sara and set her on fire. "Who were they?" he inquired.
"I'm not sure, Sir. It was probably just some kids," Sharif responded. "How low can you really go?" the prosecutor shot back.
What we do know is that Batool was aware for at least two years that her husband was abusing Sara.
In the end, the jury was convinced that Sharif didn't act alone in the murder of the ten-year-old. Batool either physically attacked Sara, or she helped and supported Sharif during some of the violent acts. These actions played a crucial role in causing or significantly contributing to her death.
Ultimately, Batool took on the main role of caring for the children at home.
Photo credit: Surrey Police
Sara's dad, Urfan Sharif, along with her stepmom, Beinash Batool, has been convicted of murder.
Sara's uncle, Faisal Malik, also chose not to testify in the trial.
The jury likely felt confident about the prosecution's argument, believing that he must have been aware of the situation in the house and failed to take appropriate actions to prevent or halt the violence that resulted in Sara's death.
When the court gathered to announce the verdicts, the judge requested everyone to maintain silence and show respect.
Sharif and Batool were convicted of murder. Malik, exonerated in Sara's murder case, was held responsible for either causing or permitting her death. As the judgments were read out, Sharif stared blankly ahead, Batool wept, and Malik shed tears.
The three of them were taken out of the courtroom and escorted to their cells, marking the conclusion of the trial.
The dread that had lingered in the courtroom for weeks slowly transformed into a profound sorrow for Sara. This was the once self-assured, talkative, and kind-hearted 10-year-old girl with aspirations of becoming a ballet dancer.
Further reporting by Daniel Sandford.
