Sara Sharif’s father, stepmother and uncle pleaded not guilty to the 10-year-old’s murder at the Old Bailey on Thursday as the court heard she had suffered a ‘constellation’ of injuries.
Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 41, stepmother Beinash Batool, 29, and Sharif’s brother Faisal Malik, 28, are all charged with murder and causing or allowing the death of a child after she was discovered in a property in Woking on August 10.
All three fled the UK with five children before alerting authorities to her death. They appeared at the Old Bailey today via video link and all denied both charges.
Batool appeared via video link from HMP Bronzefield wearing a black jumper while Sharif and Malik appeared sat together at HMP Belmarsh wearing grey prison issued tracksuits.
Prosecutors told the Old Bailey that Sara was found to have ‘a constellation of healed and healing injuries’.
Sara Sharif (pictured) was found dead and alone in her family’s home near Woking, Surrey, on August 10
Urfan Sharif and his partner Beinash Batool are charged with murder and causing or allowing the death of a child
Faisal Malik, brother of Urfan Sharif, is also charged over the death of the ten-year-old girl
The defendants spoke only to confirm their names and deny the offences.
They are charged with murder on or about 8 August 2023 and causing or allowing the death of a child between 16 December 2022 and 9 August 2023.
The second charge alleges they each caused or were aware of a ‘significant risk of serious physical harm being caused’ to Sara, and that they ‘failed to take full steps as could have reasonably been expected to protect her from that risk.’
Police dashed to the home after receiving a phone call from Pakistan from her father at 2.47am, which lasted eight minutes and 34 seconds.
A post-mortem revealed she had suffered ‘multiple and extensive injuries’ over a ‘sustained and extended’ period of time including broken ribs, bruising and a brain haemorrhage before her death.
Officers found her body ‘fully clothed’ under a duvet in a bunk bed along with two handwritten notes ‘tucked under the pillows under the child’s head’.
An international manhunt was launched for the three adults after they went into hiding in Pakistan after fleeing to Islamabad with five children aged between one and 13 years old.
After more than a month the three finally returned to the UK on September 13.
The couple’s remaining children were taken into custody by police.
Prosecutor Giles Bedloe earlier said: ‘These defendants have been charged with the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif as well as the offence of allowing her death.
‘In the upstairs bedroom on a set of bunk beds attending officers pulled back the blanket and found the body of a young girl.
Police dashed to Sara’s home after receiving a phone call from Pakistan from her father at 2.47am, which lasted eight minutes and 34 seconds
Batool (left), Malik (centre) and Sharif (right) at a previous court hearing in September
Sara suffered multiple injuries including broken ribs and a brain haemorrhage before her death
Olga Sharif with a picture of her daughter Sara who was found dead at her home in Woking, Surrey
‘She was fully clothed on the centre of the bed lying face up.
‘Sara sustained a number of injuries – a healed fracture to one of her clavicles, multiple rib fractures, multiple bruising to the torso and limbs and the presence of haemorrhage on her brain.
‘There were multiple healing fractures on different parts of body suggesting multiple events of violence over a period of time which must have culminated in her death.’
Detailing the charge of causing or allowing the death of a child, Recorder of London Mr Lucraft said: ‘The charge is as follows; that, between 16 December 2022 and 9 August 2023, you, having been a person who was the member of the same household of, and had frequent contact with Sara Sharif, who died on or around 8 August, you either:
‘A) caused Sara Sharif’s death via your own unlawful act, or B) you ought to have been aware of the risk of her death and you failed to take the steps as could have been reasonably expected to protect her from that risk.’
The court was previously told the defendants had booked a flight to the country two days earlier.
A provisional six week trial date before a High Court judge is set for 2 September 2024.
The defendants will next appear for a case management hearing on 26 January.