Sara Sharif’s dad denies destroying phone evidence

The father of Sara Sharif has denied that he deliberately destroyed phone evidence after the girl was found dead with multiple injuries at the family home.

Urfan Sharif was questioned at his trial at the Old Bailey as to why none of the relatives had brought their phones back from Pakistan, where they travelled to the day after 10-year-old Sara died.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC said the jury had been “denied the treasure trove” of messages, photos and videos.

Mr Sharif, 42, Sara's stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, have denied murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

Warning: This article contains distressing details

The court previously heard that Sara was hooded, burned and beaten during more than two years of abuse before her body was found in a bunkbed at her home in Woking, Surrey, on 10 August 2023.

“If we had your phone, there would be tonnes of messages talking about Sara," Mr Emlyn Jones KC told Mr Sharif.

“Months, years of being punished, you were discussing in these messages. When you went to Pakistan, you made sure those phones didn’t come back.”

Mr Sharif replied: “We did not leave the phones in Pakistan deliberately. The phones were in the car when the police raided.”

The prosecutor also accused Mr Sharif of attempting to manipulate the case for his advantage, which the defendant denied.

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.

Mr 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 previously accepted “full responsibility” for Sara's death, but later denied intending to kill her.

He also told the jury he was lying when he called his wife, Ms Batool, a “psycho” earlier in the trial.

Mr Sharif admitted beating Sara, but denied biting or burning her.

The court previously heard Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with Sara's five brothers and sisters on 9 August 2023, the day before her body was found.

The trial continues.

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