Sara Sharif Trial: Father Admits Responsibility for Daughter's Death but Denies Intent to Kill

Urfan Sharif, a minicab driver accused of murdering his 10-year-old daughter Sara Sharif, has told jurors he "takes full responsibility" for her death.

However, he maintains that he never intended to kill her. The 42-year-old made the statement during an emotionally charged session at the Old Bailey in London, where he is being tried alongside Sara’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, and his brother, Faisal Malik, 29. All three defendants deny the charge of murder as well as an alternative charge of causing or allowing Sara's death.

In court, Sharif recounted the events of the early hours of 10 August last year when he called the police, admitting he had beaten Sara "too much" for misbehaving. His call led authorities to discover the young girl's lifeless body in a bunk bed at the family home in Woking, Surrey. Investigators later documented the extent of her injuries: dozens of fractures, bruises, burns, and even bite marks. Despite this overwhelming evidence, Sharif’s legal defense and those of his co-defendants continue to challenge the nature of their culpability in Sara's tragic death.

The court has heard harrowing testimony, including Sharif's acknowledgment of having caused at least 25 fractures by striking Sara with a cricket bat or a pole, even breaking the small hyoid bone in her neck. Under intense cross-examination by Batool’s barrister, Caroline Carberry KC, Sharif repeatedly confessed to inflicting grave injuries. However, he insisted that he did not mean to inflict life-threatening harm.

"I accept every single thing," Sharif said during questioning, his voice breaking. The admission came in response to questions about a handwritten note he left near Sara's body before fleeing to Pakistan with his family. The note read: "Love you Sara. Whoever sees this note, it’s me, Urfan Sharif, who killed my daughter by beating. I am running away because I am scared but I promise that I will hand over myself and take punishment."

When pressed by Ms. Carberry on the contents of the note and whether he had, in fact, beaten Sara to death, Sharif replied, "Yes, she died because of me." As his wife, Beinash Batool, sobbed in the dock, the tension in the courtroom thickened. Despite confessing to causing Sara’s death, Sharif attempted to shift some blame, suggesting he was out working when the worst of the abuse occurred, allegedly at Batool's hands.

Ms. Carberry then presented him with evidence of the extensive injuries Sara had endured in the weeks leading up to her death. "In the weeks before she died, she suffered multiple fractures to her body, didn't she? And it was you who inflicted those injuries?" she questioned. Sharif agreed, conceding he had used significant force when striking Sara, but adamantly denied causing her burns and bite marks.

The line of questioning continued, focusing on Sharif's use of a cricket bat as a weapon. Ms. Carberry asked, "Do you accept using the cricket bat to beat her? Do you accept using the cricket bat as a weapon on her on a number of occasions? Do you accept that you used that cricket bat on her with force?" Sharif replied, "Yes, ma'am," confirming he had wielded the bat with considerable strength.

However, the critical element of intent remained at the center of the debate. Ms. Carberry emphasized the legal definition of murder, which requires proof of intent to cause really serious harm. She pressed Sharif on his earlier admissions: "You have pleaded not guilty to the offence of murder. Would you like that charge to be put to you again?" Though Sharif initially seemed confused, he affirmed he did not want to change his plea.

Taking a brief recess, the court reconvened, and Ms. Carberry sought further clarity. She pointedly asked, "When you confirmed earlier today you beat her to death and you intended to cause her really serious harm, that was an admission to the offence of murder." Sharif refuted this, whispering, "I did not want to hurt her. I didn't want to harm her."

Despite repeated prodding, Sharif stood by his assertion that he had no desire to kill his daughter. Ms. Carberry's questions grew more direct: "Do you accept that your beating of her caused her death?" Sharif answered, "Yes." But when asked, "Do you accept by beating her in the way that you did you intended to cause her really serious harm?" Sharif hesitated before answering, "No."

The trial continues, with both Batool and Malik also under scrutiny for their roles in Sara's mistreatment and ultimate death. The jury will have to grapple with the complex and painful testimony, weighing Sharif's admissions of guilt against his insistence that he never intended to fatally harm his daughter.