'She died because of me', Sara Sharif's father tells court

Sara Sharif’s father has accepted “full responsibility” for her death but denied that he intended to kill her, a court has heard.

The 10-year-old's father Urfan Sharif, 42, stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, had denied murder after Sara’s body was found with dozens of injuries at the family’s home in Woking, Surrey, last year.

Under cross-examination at the Old Bailey, Mr Sharif said: “She died because of me.”

The court previously heard that Sara was hooded, burned and beaten during more than two years of abuse.

Jurors were previously told Mr Sharif's case was that Ms Batool was responsible for Sara's death, and he made a false confession in a phone call and also in a note to protect his wife.

But on Wednesday, as the court day was getting under way, Mr Sharif unexpectedly said: “I admit what I said in my phone call and my written note. Every single word.”

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

In response to questioning from Ms Batool’s barrister Caroline Carberry KC, Mr Sharif suddenly said: “I want to say something."

"Do you accept that you had been beating Sara severely over a number of weeks?”, Ms Carberry KC asked.

“Yes," he said.

“On the night of 6 August, you badly beat Sara?”, Ms Carberry KC added.

“Yes,” he said.

As his admissions increased, some members of the jury were open-mouthed.

At that stage, Ms Batool, who had been sobbing loudly, left the court.

He also told jurors that he caused fractures to Sara and hit her with a cricket bat and metal pole while she was tied up with tape.

However, Mr Sharif later said he only intended to “discipline” Sara.

“I didn’t want to kill her,” Mr Sharif told the court.

Earlier, Ms Carberry KC asked Mr Sharif: “You have pleaded not guilty to the offence of murder. Would you like that charge to be put to you again?”

“Yes,” he said.

His barrister, Naeem Mian KC, then stood up and asked for time to speak to his client.

After a break, Mr Sharif declined to change his plea.

On Wednesday afternoon, Ms Carberry KC asked Mr Sharif about the minutes before Sara died on 8 August.

Mr Sharif said he arrived home that evening and went upstairs to find his daughter lying sick in a bedroom with Ms Batool.

Mr Sharif agreed with Ms Carberry KC, who put it to him that he did not believe Sara was really sick.

“You said to Beinash that Sara was pretending, she was acting up…you took the metal pole...you gave her couple of whacks on the abdomen while she was lying there very unwell," said Ms Carberry KC.

Through tears, Mr Sharif agreed that this was accurate.

Ms Carberry KC continued: “Beinash said we need an ambulance…you refused to allow Beinash to call an ambulance, didn’t you?”

“Yes ma’am,” Mr Sharif replied.

A post-mortem examination found Sara had suffered dozens of injuries including "probable human bite marks", an iron burn and scalding from hot water before she died on 8 August 2023.

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.

Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Urfan's brother Mr Malik all previously denied charges of murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

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