LONDON: In a shocking development at the Old Bailey, Urfan Sharif admitted in court that he “takes full responsibility” for the untimely death of his 10-year-old daughter, Sara Sharif, and confessed to her murder.
Sharif described the severe abuse he subjected the girl to, admitting that he beat her with a metal pole and cricket bat till she died on August 8, 2023, just days before her body was found in their Surrey home.
Caroline Carberry KC, who asked him directly if he had beaten her to death, forced the confession out of him during cross-examination. “Yes, I am to blame for her death,” Sharif said. He disclosed that over the course of several weeks, he had hit Sara “severely,” allegedly out of rage at her numerous episodes of vomiting and self-soiling.
In connection with what prosecutors have called a “campaign of abuse” against Sara, Sharif, 42, his wife, Beinash Batool, 30, and his brother, Faisal Malik, 29, are all facing charges. Shortly after Sara’s passing, the three escaped to Pakistan, and Sharif later admitted to the British authorities that he had “beaten her up too much.”
Sharif’s statement was further supported by a handwritten letter discovered next to Sara’s fully clothed body, which read, “I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her.” But I snapped.
The court was shown the horrifying results of the medical examination. Sara had 71 exterior injuries, including burns, bite marks, and fractures, according to her postmortem.
As Carberry questioned him about the specifics of his alleged acts, Sharif repeatedly said, “I accept everything,” as if unable to look at the pictures of Sara’s injuries.
Two days prior to her murder, Sara was seen dancing in a frightening video clip from August 6 that was shown by the prosecution. Sharif acknowledged viciously hitting her that same night in spite of this peek of her vibrant personality.
Later, in order to postpone further proceedings, Sharif’s defense team requested a private conference with him in court.
Sharif and the other defendants, meanwhile, continue to enter not guilty pleas to the accusations of murder and causing or permitting the death of the child as the trial goes on.
Interrogation
“Do you accept that you had been severely beating Sara over a number of weeks?” Carberry said throughout the hearing. He said, “Yes, ma’am.”
He then admitted to repeatedly hitting Sara with a cricket bat, breaking 25 bones in the process.
“I want to ask you about the times you attacked her with a cricket bat,” Carberry went on. In your opinion, what had she done to merit such abuse?
“Nothing,” Sharif said in response.
“Why were you beating her so hard?” she inquired.
In response, he said, “I was wrong.”
“Were you upset with her because she had begun to contaminate herself last summer?” she went on.
“Yes ma’am,” he said.
“And she had started vomiting, hadn’t she?” she continued. Sharif responded, “Yes, ma’am.”
“And you would get angry when she was ill?” Carberry inquired. And you would be upset when she soiled herself? “Yes ma’am,” he said.
On August 6, he admitted to assaulting Sara with the bat and metal rod, injuring her face and head.
“You have entered a not guilty plea to the charge of murder,” Carberry went on. Do you want to be charged that amount once more?
“Yes ma’am,” he said.
