A London trial on Friday revealed that the father of a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl claimed his wife instructed him to confess to their daughter’s murder. Urfan Sharif, 42, along with his wife Beinash Batool, 30, and his brother Faisal Malik, 29, is accused of killing Sara Sharif on August 8 last year. All three deny charges of murder and allowing her death.
During the trial at the Old Bailey, jurors heard that the three left their home in Woking, southwest of London, a day after Sara’s death and flew to Pakistan. Police later discovered Sara’s body, bearing multiple fractures, bruises, burns, and bite marks, following a tip-off from Sharif in Islamabad.
On the fourth day of his testimony, Sharif stated that he was devastated by Sara’s death. He said he left because Batool told him Sara had been assaulted by one of his other children, which led him to worry about their welfare. Before leaving, he wrote a note claiming responsibility: “Whoever sees this note, it’s me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating,” though he insisted in court that the words were dictated by Batool, and he took the blame to protect his other children.
Sharif left the house keys under the doormat on August 9, 2023, to allow police entry without breaking in and intended to report Sara’s death once he had left the country. In court, a recording of Sharif’s call to UK police from Islamabad was played, in which he repeatedly said, “I killed my daughter” and gave directions to their home, explaining he had “left in a panic” and promised to return.
A month later, Sharif, Batool, and Malik returned to the UK and were promptly arrested.
