Horror injuries of schoolgirl Sara Sharif revealed in court - as three family members stand trial for her murder
14 October 2024, 15:57 | Updated: 14 October 2024, 15:58
The horror injuries sustained by schoolgirl Sara Sharif have been shared in court - as three of her family members stand trial for her murder.
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The 10-year-old was found dead under a blanket at her home in Woking, Surrey, in August last year.
Her father, taxi driver Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of her murder alongside Sara's stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 28.
The court heard Sara Sharif was "beaten" with objects and suffered "probably human bite marks" before she died
The 10-year-old was also burned by an iron and scalded by hot water before she died.
Opening their trial on Monday, prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said all the defendants had played a part in a "campaign of abuse" against Sara leading to her death.
Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones told jurors that analysis from a burns surgeon had concluded that an injury to her right buttock had been caused by a "hot, flat surface", specifically "the sole-plate of a domestic iron".
He said that burns had also been found on the inside of both of her ankles that appeared to be from scald burns.
The prosecutor continued: "The pattern of injury was, however, not common because it suggested that hot liquid encountered both feet while they were close together.
"This, you may think, would be extremely unlikely to happen just by spilling something by accident - because, for example, if a child drops or spills hot water down towards their feet, their immediate and reflex reaction is usually to jump or make efforts to avoid the inevitable splash of hot water."
Mr Emlyn Jones added that the doctor had also found "linear features" on Sara's feet and ankles that implied she had been restrained.
An examination of the 10-year-old's body also found a "pattern of injuries" and "signs of traumatic brain injury", the prosecution said.
There were five bite marks found on Sara's lower left arm and one to her inner thigh, the court heard.
Regarding the leg injury, prosecutor William Emlyn Jones said it had "marks which indicated that the teeth had been dragged across the surface and with central bruising probably the result of suction."
Batool, Sara's stepmother, has refused to provide a dental impression for comparison with the bite marks, he told jurors.
Other injuries included to Sara's ribs, shoulder blades, fingers and 11 separate fractures to the spine, Mr Emlyn Jones said.
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Previously, Sara's mother, Olg Sharif, previously said she was so badly injured she could not recognise her in the mortuary.
"One of her cheeks was swollen and the other side was bruised.
"Even now, when I close my eyes I can see what my baby looked like."
Earlier, the court heard a note written by Urfan Sharif was found by police next to her body.
The note, shown to the jury, read: "Love you Sara."
The second page continued: "Whoever see this note its me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating.
"I am running away because I am scared but I promise that I will hand over myself and take punishment."
Another page read: "I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her but I lost it.
"My daughter is Muslim. Can you bury her like Muslim may be.
"I will be back before you finish the post mortem."
The court heard the note had been analysed by an expert who concluded it was Urfan Sharif's handwriting.
Previously, prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said Sara’s father told a 999 operator he had "killed" his daughter after claiming he “legally punished her".
He said: "At 2.47am here in the UK a call was made to Surrey Police and the call was the first defendant Urfan Sharif.
"The call to the police laste eight and a half minutes. In the call Urfan Sharif began by asking the operator to take down his address.
"It's difficult to make out what he's saying because it sounds like he's crying.
"The operator interrupted him and said 'take a deep breath' and tell me what's happened.
"999 operators as I'm sure you can imagine are used to hearing all kinds of dreadful things in 999 calls. But this operator can't have expected the answer he got to his question 'tell me what happened'.
"Urfan Sharif answer was to say 'I have killed my daughter'. He used what you may think is an odd expression. He said 'I legally punished her and she died'."
Jones continued: "A little later in the call when asked for more detail, he added 'she was naughty and then I beat her up.
“It was not my intention to kill her but I beat her up too much'."
The trio travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with Sara's five brothers and sisters on August 9 - the day before her body was found.
A previous court hearing was told Sara's body was found after Surrey Police received a call from Pakistan on 10 August.
The three adults were arrested on their return to the UK on September 13 and were charged two days later.
A post-mortem found Sara suffered "multiple and extensive injuries" which were probably "caused over a sustained and extended period of time".
Sara Sharif’s father faces court after being charged with 10-year-old’s murder
It is believed Sharif is alleged to have died from "third party involvement."
Jones added: "Her treatment in the last few weeks of her life had been appalling. It had been brutal."
A note was found next to Sara's body, the court heard on Monday.
It read: "It's me, Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating.
"I swear to God it was not my intention to kill her but I lost it."
It continued: "I'm running away because I'm scared."
The day after her death, Sara’s whole family fled on a flight out of the UK to Pakistan.
Her father was thousands of miles away when he made the call to confess her death.
The day after her death, Sara’s whole family fled on a flight out of the UK to Pakistan.
Her father was thousands of miles away when he made the calling to confess her death.
Jones told jurors an examination of Sara’s body showed that her father’s claim to have “beaten” her "nowhere near to describing the extent of the violence and physical abuse Sara had suffered" over a period of weeks.
He said: "Sara had not just been beaten up. Her treatment, certainly in the last few weeks of her life, had been appalling. It had been brutal. And throughout, these three defendants were the adults living in the house where Sara had lived, where she had suffered, and where she had died."
The defendants, of Hammond Road in Woking, have denied murder and causing or allowing the death of a child between December 16 2022 and August 9 2023.
The trial before Mr Justice Cavanagh is due to go on until December 13.
