Urfan Sharif, father of Sara Sharif, a 10-year-old Anglo-Pakistani girl beaten to death in August 2023, admitted Wednesday before the Old Bailey court in London his “responsibility” in the death of his daughter, while denying wanted to kill her. Sara Sharif was found lifeless on August 10, lying on a cot in the empty family home in Woking, southwest London.
Hours before the body was discovered, Urfan Sharif, 42, his wife Beinash Batool, 29, and Sara's uncle Faisal Malik, 28, had rushed from the United Kingdom to Pakistan with their other children. All three have been on trial since mid-October for the murder of the little girl.
“Yes, she died because of me”
On the seventh day of his testimony, Urfan Sharif said, visibly overwhelmed: “Yes, she died because of me. » He added, in a breath: “I recognize everything. » However, despite this admission, he continued to claim that he had not intended to kill his daughter. “I didn’t want to hurt her, I didn’t want to kill her,” he insisted.
Pressed with questions by Beinash Batool's lawyer, who listed the multiple injuries and traces of violence noted on the child's body, the taxi driver ended up admitting to having hit his daughter several times. However, he denied some accusations of abuse, saying he did not burn her body with an iron, bite her arm or tighten a belt around her neck.
Responsibility of his wife
Until now, Urfan Sharif had tried to place the blame for his daughter's death on his wife, whom he had described as a “psychopath” and a “monster”. He accused him in particular of having incited him to hit their daughter.
After their flight to Pakistan, Urfan Sharif contacted the English police to confess to the death of Sara Sharif. The father, his wife and uncle were finally arrested on September 13, 2023 upon their return to the United Kingdom after a month on the run.
