Sara Sharif's father admits beating 10-year-old daughter to death

Sara Sharif's father wept in the dock today as he admitted beating his daughter to death but denied murdering her.

The schoolgirl was found dead in her bunk bed at home in Woking, Surrey on August 10 last year after her father Urfan Sharif, 42, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, fled to Pakistan. 

The 10-year-old suffered dozens of injuries including human bite marks and iron burns, jurors at the Old Bailey have heard. 

Sharif, who is on trial for Sara's murder, denied causing any of the injuries throughout his trial, but on his seventh day on the witness box told jurors he took 'full responsibility' for her death.

The trial was halted after Sharif's barrister, Naeem Mian, KC, asked for time to speak to his client about a possible change in plea. 

After a brief recess, Sharif accepted beating his daughter to death, but denied murder, saying he 'was not intending to kill her' and 'did not want to kill her'. 

Earlier in the day, Sharif told jurors he 'takes full responsibility' for Sara's death.

He made the admission under cross-examination as his wife sobbed in the dock.

He confessed that he had battered the 10-year-old schoolgirl with a cricket bat and a metal pole.

He also accepted that he had beaten her in the days before her death, causing fractures all over her body.

Previously, Sharif had sought to blame Batool for killing his daughter but in a dramatic admission, told jurors: 'I accept every single thing.'

Caroline Carberry, KC, defending his wife asked: 'Did you beat her? Did you inflict injuries on her?'

Speaking softly in the dock, he nodded, saying: 'Yes.' 

He added: 'I take full responsibility.'

He denied biting or burning his daughter when asked to look at a folder detailing the injuries on her body. 

'I can't do that. I can't look at it. I take full responsibility,' he said.

Ms Carberry said: 'Did you use the cricket bat to inflict these injuries.'

He said: 'Yes ma'am.'

She went on: 'Did you use a white metal pole to cause these marks.'

He answered: 'Yes ma'am.'

He said he took 'full responsibility' for breaking bones in her neck, but he did not know if he used a belt to cause the injury. 

Ms Carberry asked: 'Did you accept that you killed Sara by beating her.'

Sharif whispered: 'Yes.'

Ms Carberry asked: 'Do you accept that you had been beating Sara severely over a number of weeks.'

Sharif answered 'Yes'.

He admitted that he had beaten her around the face with a cricket bat, battering her repeatedly on a 'number of occasions.'

Crying, the father accepted that he had caused at least 25 fractures during assaults 'using a weapon'.

When asked what Sara had done to deserve such beatings, Sharif muttered: 'Nothing'.

He accepted that he had been angry after she started defecating in fear and vomiting.

Ms Carberry asked: 'Did you hit her intentionally to cause really serious harm to her.'

Sharif looked down, sobbing: 'Yes maam.'

Ms Carberry added: 'You have pleaded not guilty to the offence of murder. Would you like the charge to be put to you again?'

Sharif answered: 'Yeah.'

The trial was halted after Sharif's barrister, Naeem Mian, KC, asked for time to speak to his client about a possible change in plea.

Batool fled the dock in tears, while members of the jury wept as they left the court.

But after a break Sharif appeared to change his mind and insisted he was not guilty of murder. 

After the recess, Ms Carberry 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 said: 'I did not want to hurt her. I didn't want to harm her.'

Ms Carberry responded: 'But you did harm her. What did you intend when you took a cricket bat to a 10-year-old girl?'

The defendant said: 'I did wrong. I didn't think anything.'

Ms Carberry asked: 'Do you accept that you killed her?'

He added: 'She died because of me but I did not want to kill her. It was not my intention.'

Sara was found dead in a bunkbed at the family home in Woking, Surrey, last August 10, the day after the defendants fled to Pakistan.

Sharif had phoned police on arrival at Islamabad and admitted he had beaten Sara 'too much', having left a written confession beside her body.

It was alleged that Sara suffered years-long violent abuse, which involved the use of a homemade hood and being tied up with packaging tape.

A post-mortem examination found she had suffered dozens of injuries including 25 broken bones, human bite marks, and burns on her bottom and feet.

Sharif, Batool and Malik, all deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues.