Schoolgirl’s father, stepmother and uncle seem in courtroom for ‘homicide’
The father, stepmother and uncle accused of murdering ten-year-old Sara Sharif in their Surrey home today appeared in court – and their trial date has now been set.
Urfan Sharif, 42, along with his partner, Beinash Batool, 29, and brother, Faisal Malik, 28, are accused of killing the youngster, whose body was discovered at her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 last year.
The trio, who flew to Pakistan the day before Sara’s body was found with ‘multiple and extensive injuries’, were arrested on September 13 at Gatwick airport as they disembarked a flight from Dubai.
They deny murdering Sara, on or about 8 August 2023, and causing or allowing the death of a child between 16 December 2022 and 9 August 2023.
Batool today appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link from HMP Bronzefield, while Sharif and Malik appeared together from HMP Belmarsh.
The body of 10-year-old Sara Shariff (pictured) was discovered at her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 last year
Her father Urfan Sharif, 42, (pictured) appeared in court today charged with her murder
Mr Sharif’s partner Beinash Batool (right), 29, and brother, Faisal Malik (left), 28, are also accused of killing the youngster
Their trial had been fixed for 1 October but it will now begin on 7 October when a jury will be selected.
The prosecutor will then open the case to the jury on October 14.
The trial will be heard by High Court judge Mr Justice Cavanagh and is estimated to last up to seven weeks.
Prosecutors previously told the Old Bailey that Sara was found to have ‘a constellation of healed and healing injuries’, while a post-mortem revealed she had suffered ‘multiple and extensive injuries’ over a ‘sustained and extended’ period of time.
A post-mortem revealed Sara (pictured) had suffered ‘multiple and extensive injuries’ over a ‘sustained and extended’ period of time
The day before her body was discovered, the three defendants had left the UK for Pakistan with five children. They returned to the UK on September 13 and were arrested on landing at Gatwick Airport.
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.
‘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.’
Sara’s mother, Olga Sharif, had visited the £550,000 red-brick home in the village of Horsell five days after her daughter’s death to lay flowers in her memory.
The young girl was previously a pupil at St Mary’s Church of England primary school in Byfleet.
