A father, who is currently on the run after the death of his 10-year-old daughter, Sara Sharif, reportedly called 999 from Pakistan, saying he had “legally punished her and she d!ed,” a court has heard.
Urfan Sharif, 42, left a note next to Sara’s body on her bunk bed, which read, “I swear to God my intention was not to kill her, but I lost it.”
Sharif, along with his partner Beinash Batool, 30, and brother Faisal Malik, 29, are accused of murdering Sara at her Woking home last year. All three deny the charges, and their trial at the Old Bailey commenced earlier this week.
During a 999 call at 2:47 a.m. on August 10, 2023, Sharif, a taxi driver, told the operator: “I’ve killed my daughter. I’ve legally punished her, and she died.” Sharif was reportedly so emotional that the operator had to ask him to calm down and explain what happened. He later admitted, “I beat her up. It wasn’t my intention to kill her, but I went too far.”
Following Sara’s death, Sharif, Batool, and Malik fled to Pakistan, where they remained for over a month. They were arrested on September 13, 2023, at Gatwick Airport upon their return from Dubai.
A post-mortem revealed that Sara had endured “multiple and extensive injuries” over a “sustained and extended period.” She likely died on August 8, two days before Sharif contacted the police.
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones told the court that Sharif’s claim to have only beaten Sara did not fully describe the extent of the violence and ab*se she had suffered for weeks.
Sara’s injuries included five bite marks on her arm and thigh, as well as fractures to her spine, ribs, and fingers. Marks on her feet and ankles suggested she had been restrained.
The court heard that the three defendants had been the only adults living in the home where Sara had endured this violence. Jones argued that it was “inconceivable” that only one person had been responsible for the ab*se, suggesting all three had played a role.
Sharif, Batool, and Malik also deny charges of causing or allowing the death of a child.
