Sara Sharif murder trial latest: Jury to hear more evidence on schoolgirl’s catalogue of injuries

Father Urfan Sharif, stepmother Beinash Batool and uncle Faisal Malik deny 10-year-old’s murder

Listen: Sara Sharif’s father tells 999 operator he’s killed daughter

The jury is set to hear more evidence on Sara Sharif’s catalogue of injuries as the fourth day of her murder trial gets underway.

It comes after the Old Bailey on Wednesday heard the 10-year-old died as a result of “complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect”, according to a pathologist.

Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 42, her stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 29, all deny her murder.

Surrey Police discovered the schoolgirl dead in a bedroom at her home in Woking on 10 August last year.

On Wednesday, jurors were shown graphics outlining a string of injuries found on the schoolgirl’s body.

She had suffered two traumatic injuries in the days before her death, as well as 71 recent injuries including bruises, abrasions, skin ulcers consistent with burns and probable bite marks.

The court previously heard Sara’s head was covered with “homemade hoods” made of plastic bags and parcel tape in the weeks before her death.

Fingerprints allegedly belonging to the schoolgirl’s father, Urfan Sharif, were found on one of the bags and a bit of parcel tape.

Earlier, jurors were told neighbour Chloe Redwin would hear “shockingly loud” sounds of “smacking” from their family home followed by “gut-wrenching screams”.

Key Points

• Schoolgirl suffered at least 71 fresh injuries although true total unknown, jury told
• Pathologist details string of bruises, burns and injuries found on Sara Sharif’s body
• Sara Sharif’s head covered with ‘home-made hoods’ of plastic bags and parcel tape, court told
• Pictured: Note found by Sara’s body saying ‘It’s me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter’
• Police officer recalls finding Sara’s body under neatly placed white sheet

[17 October 2024 11:30 · Tara Cobham]

Watch: Stepmother of Sara Sharif requests ‘earliest possible’ flights after child’s death

[17 October 2024 11:30 · Holly Evans]

Trial resumes for the fourth day

The trial of Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik has resumed for the fourth day at the Old Bailey.

Jurors are expected to hear evidence from Professor Anthony Freemont, an osteoarticular pathologist.

[17 October 2024 10:54 · Tara Cobham]

What trial heard yesterday

• Sara Sharif had suffered more than 70 injuries shortly before she was found dead in her home, the court heard.

• Giving evidence on Wednesday, forensic pathologist Dr Nathaniel Cary presented his findings from a post-mortem examination of Sara’s body he carried out on August 15 2023 which took around three hours.

• He gave the girl’s cause of death as “complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect”.

• He said some of Sara’s external injuries, which included dozens of bruises, grazes and burns, were the result of “repetitive blunt trauma” and “blunt impact or solid pressure, or both.”

• He told the more than 71 injuries to the little girl’s body included significant damage internally, including bleeding on her brain, multiple bruises on her lungs and multiple skeletal injuries, jurors heard.

[17 October 2024 10:27 · Tara Cobham]

In pictures: Sara’s father, stepmother and uncle stand trial as they deny her murder

Sara Sharif’s father Urfan Sharif (right) her uncle Faisal Malik (left) and stepmother Beinash Batool (centre) at the Old Bailey (PA Wire)

Prosecuting counsel Bill Emlyn-Jones KC at the murder trial (Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire)

[17 October 2024 09:17 · Holly Evans]

Pictured: Note allegedly found by Sara Sharif’s body

A note that was allegedly found by Sara Sharif’s body in her father’s handwriting has been pictured in court.

Taxi driver Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of his 10-year-old daughter’s murder alongside Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29.

It is alleged within hours of her death the defendants had booked a flight out of the country.

Read the full article here:

[17 October 2024 08:01 · Jabed Ahmed]

Schoolgirl Sara Sharif suffered a catalogue of 71 injuries before her death, jury told

Read the full report from the third day of the trial from our crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin:

[17 October 2024 07:00 · Holly Evans]

What did the court hear on Wednesday?

On the third day of the trial at the Old Bailey, jurors heard:

• Sara Sharif had suffered more than 70 injuries shortly before she was found dead
• A pathologist gave her cause of death as “complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect”.
• No natural diseases or drugs had contributed to her death, which was described as “unnatural”.
• Older injuries included scarring on her left jawline, scars around her pelvis, a puncture wound to her forehead and marks from the lower left leg to the top of the foot.
• Bruises on her legs were likely caused by “multiple impacts with a linear object”, likely an item used as a weapon.
• Traces of the 10-year-old’s blood were discovered on the kitchen floor, a vacuum cleaner and a cricket bat

[17 October 2024 06:00 · Holly Evans]

Sara Sharif had more than 70 recent injuries after her death, court told

[17 October 2024 04:00 · Holly Evans]

Stepmother of Sara Sharif requests ‘earliest possible’ flights after child’s death

[17 October 2024 02:00 · Holly Evans]

Sara died of ‘complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect'

Reading his conclusions, Dr Cary gave Sara’s cause of death as “complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect” and described it as “unnatural”.

He said the findings were in keeping with “significant and repetitive blunt force trauma” and did not exclude the possibility of Sara’s burns contributing to her death through sepsis.

Previously, jurors have heard Sara had suffered “probable human bite marks”, an iron burn and scalding from hot water.

Traces of the 10-year-old’s blood were discovered on the kitchen floor, a vacuum cleaner and a cricket bat following a police search of the family home, the prosecution said.

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.