Dad of murdered Sara Sharif 'takes full responsibility' for death of 10-year-old daughter

Get the latest Daily Record breaking news on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info

Join us on WhatsApp

The father of murdered 10-year-old Sara Sharif has told jurors he "takes full responsibility' for her death.

Taxi driver, Urfan Sharif, made the shock admission under cross-examination as his wife Beinash Batool, 30, sobbed in the dock of the Old Bailey on Wednesday, reports the Mirror.

The 42-year-old previously sought to blame Batool for the murder of young Sara, but in a dramatic admission, told jurors: "I accept every single thing."

Sara was discovered at the family home in Woking, Surrey, last August 10 after the defendants fled to Pakistan. The youngster suffered dozens of injuries including human bite marks and iron burns, jurors have heard.

Cross-examining for Batool, Caroline Carberry KC had asked Sharif about a note he left beside the body of his daughter before leaving for Pakistan. In it, he wrote "love you Sara" on the first page followed by the words: "Whoever see this note it's me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating."

Mrs Carberry questioned whether he did indeed kill his daughter by beating and Sharif replied: "Yes, she died because of me." The barrister said: "In the weeks before she died she suffered multiple fractures to her body, didn’t she, and it was you who inflicted those injuries?" The defendant replied: "Yes."

Sharif accepted causing the injuries, bar burn and bite marks and added: "I take responsibility. I take full responsibility." He also admitted to causing fractures to Sara by smacking her with a cricket bat or pole. Asked if he broke Sara's hyoid neck bone, he repeated: "I can take full responsibility. I accept every single thing." Ms Carberry went on: "I suggest on the night of the 6th of August you badly beat Sara." Speaking barely above a whisper in the witness box, Sharif replied: "I accept everything."

Sharif, Batool and Sara's uncle Faisal Malik, 29, formerly of Hammond Road, Woking, deny Sara's murder and causing or allowing her death. It came as the court heard that Sharif's wife Batool was a victim of "honour-based abuse" who told her sister she "didn't want to live in an abusive relationship anymore."

On Tuesday, Batool's lawyer rejected Sharif's claim that she was violent towards Sara, adding that he was the one who was controlling, abusive and manipulative. Caroline Carberry KC suggested that when Sharif first met Batool, she was just 20 and "vulnerable" – just how he liked his partners to be.

Sharif, who is 12 years older than Batool, denied acquiring her phone number from a shopkeeper at Woking station, claiming the pair met in his taxi. Ms Carberry said he'd known that Batool had been a "victim of honour-based" abuse and been placed in a refuge when she was a teenager.

Ms Carberry added: "You knew the older people in her family thought she had shamed them by running away from home. Do you agree she was an isolated and lonely young woman? When you met her it was very obvious this was a young woman who was isolated from her family and struggling at that time in the world, a vulnerable young woman.

"A vulnerable young woman, just the way you like your partners to be." Sharif replied: "No, she is anything but vulnerable." Jurors were shown a mobile phone clip which Sharif had earlier claimed was evidence of Batool stopping him from leaving their home.

Ms Carberry said: "You have twisted this event to try to make it look like this was an abusive episode when in fact it shows you are the abusive and manipulative one. The very fact you would take out your phone and record this episode clearly demonstrates how controlling you were." Sharif replied: "That's not right, she locked me in again and again and again."

Ms Carberry pointed to a message from Batool to her sister about Sharif ripping up family photographs. Batool told her: "I'm so dumb. I don't want to live in an abusive relationship … seriously I'm so done with this." Ms Carberry said that the messages showed Sharif was "a little unhinged" and "paranoid". She said: "Her assessment she was in an abusive relationship with you is true." Sharif replied: "That's not right."

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.