Dad and stepmum found guilty of murder tophyper

The father and stepmother of 10-year-old Sara Sharif have been found guilty of her murder.

Sara was hooded, burned and beaten during more than two years of abuse before her body was found with dozens of injuries at the family’s home in Woking, Surrey, last year.

Her father Urfan Sharif, 43, stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with Sara’s siblings on 9 August 2023, the day after she died.

Malik was found guilty of causing or allowing her death.

Mr Justice Cavanagh told the Old Bailey: “This case, above any other, has been stressful and traumatic.”

There was no reaction from Sharif as the verdicts were delivered, while Batool cried.

As the defendants were led out of the dock, Malik was seen sobbing.

Sentencing is due to take place next week.

Warning: This article features details that some people might find distressing

A post-mortem examination found Sara had suffered injuries including “probable human bite marks”, an iron burn and scalding from hot water before she died on 8 August last year.

Next to Sara’s body, which was found by police in a bunkbed, was a note in her father’s handwriting, which read: “Whoever see this note, it’s me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating.”

Jurors were initially told that Sharif’s case was that Batool was responsible for Sara’s death, and he made a false confession in a note and a subsequent phone call to protect his wife.

However, Sharif went on to accept “full responsibility” for Sara’s death under cross-examination.

During the trial, Sharif claimed he came home on the evening on 8 August 2023 to find his wife sitting on the floor in the couple’s bedroom, holding Sara.

Giving evidence, he said Batool told him the girl had fallen down the stairs while playing with another child, and that she was “pretending” and “being dramatic”.

Sharif said he told Sara to “get up” and took her arm, but it was limp.

He previously said he gave his daughter CPR for 10 minutes, but Batool told him to stop.

Sharif said that when he asked where the ambulance was, Batool replied: “There’s no need because she’s dead.”

Sharif called police from Pakistan about an hour after his family’s flight had landed in Islamabad and told the operator that he killed Sara.

In the call, which lasted eight minutes and 34 seconds, he told the operator that he “legally punished her” and she died.

Later in the call, he said that Sara had been naughty and that he then beat her up.

“It wasn’t my intention to kill her, but I beat her up too much,” Sharif went on to tell the operator.

Sara had more than 70 new external injuries when her body was found by police.

She had suffered 11 fractures to her spine, burns to her buttocks caused by a domestic iron, signs of a traumatic brain injury and six probable human bite marks.

Dental impressions ruled out that the bite marks had been caused by the male defendants, but Batool had refused to provide the impressions.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC previously said a bloodstained cricket bat, a rolling pin with Sara’s DNA on it, a metal pole, a belt and rope were found near the family’s outhouse.