Sara Sharif's father takes 'full responsibility' for her death

Sara Sharif’s father has taken “full responsibility” for her death after she was murdered in Woking earlier this year. The 10-year-old girl’s body was found at an address in Hammond Road, Woking at around 2.50am on August 10, 2023.

Taxi driver Urfan Sharif, 42, made the admission under cross-examination as his wife Beinash Batool, 30, sobbed in the dock of the Old Bailey on Wednesday (November 13). Previously, Sharif had sought to blame Batool for killing his daughter but in a dramatic admission today, told jurors: “I accept every single thing.”

Sara was found dead at the family home in Woking, Surrey, after the defendants fled to Pakistan. She had suffered dozens of injuries including human bite marks and iron burns, jurors have heard.

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Sharif, Batool, 29, and Sara’s uncle Faisal Malik, 28, formerly of Hammond Road, Woking, deny Sara’s murder and causing or allowing her death. Yesterday (November 12), Batool’s lawyer rejected Sharif’s claim that she was violent towards Sara.

She instead claimed that Sharif was controlling, abusive and manipulative. However, Sharif rejected allegations that he swore, and kicked and hit Sara’s mother in the mouth, saying he had never been charged with an offence.

Jurors heard that Sharif initially decided to take the blame for Sara’s death and go to Pakistan after Batool claimed that another child had injured her. Sharif had been working when Sara collapsed at home last August 8 and Batool told him to “come home”, the court heard.

Sharif’s barrister, Mr Mian, told jurors: “He came home and found her upstairs, with Beinash Batool, limp. He will tell you that he asked ‘What the hell has happened?’, as any one of your number would.

“Having been told what had happened, he said ‘I will take the blame’. He will tell you that he attempted CPR, that he begged for an ambulance to be called as he did CPR. And he was told in Urdu or Punjabi ‘Leave it, she’s dead, leave it, she’s dead’.”

The barrister cast suspicion on Batool, pointing to her refusal to give dental impressions to compare with bite marks on Sara and WhatsApp messages to her sisters in which she claimed Sharif had beaten his daughter up.

Jurors heard that Sara went to live with her father after he had an acrimonious split from her biological mother, Olga. During the resulting custody battle allegations “flew around” on both sides, the court was told.

Sharif said he had met his ex-wife online in 2009 and they broke up around 2014. He alleged that his former wife had “bitten” another child and “abused” Sara during and after their marriage.

Of allegations she levelled at him, he said: “She did accuse me of having an affair with Beinash. She accused me of being controlling. She made accusations of domestic violence and child abuse.

“I was arrested once. When I was arrested I took off my shirt and showed them, actually it was me that was abused by her. Olga admits she was violent towards me.”

Mr Mian told jurors that Batool had supported Sharif throughout the custody battle, despite being “perfectly aware of the allegations” being made against him.

Sharif told jurors he had completed a domestic violence programme for six months despite denying he was ever violent towards his ex-wife. He said he had pleaded guilty to stealing £1,700 but had no other convictions.

All three defendants, formerly of Hammond Road, Woking, have denied murder and causing or allowing the death of a child between December 16 2022 and August 9 2023.