'TORTURED TO DEATH'
Litany of ‘brutal punishments Sara Sharif subjected to by dad revealed as she was made to do sit-ups all night & hooded’
Youngster was hooded, burned and bitten during two-year campaign of abuse, court told
A TRAGIC ten-year-old girl was forced to do sit-ups all night in gruelling punishments before she was murdered by her dad, a court heard.
Sara Sharif was allegedly hooded, burned, bitten and beaten during more than two years of abuse.
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She had suffered at least 71 external injuries when she was found dead at home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 last year.
Her dad Urfan Sharif, 42, his wife Beinash Batool, 30, and brother Faisal Malik, 29, deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.
The Old Bailey heard how Sharif dished out brutal punishments to his daughter during the alleged campaign of abuse.
Text messages from stepmum Batool described Sharif as a "psycho” who “beat the crap out of Sara”.
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She also claimed to her sister that she was made to cover up Sara’s bruises with makeup and sunglasses, jurors heard.
Describing one alleged incident, Batool wrote: "Why the hell am I ever letting him in the house. I feel really sorry for Sara, poor girl can’t walk, she literally fainted in the kitchen in the morning, he made her do sit ups all night.
"It’s been so crazy man, you don’t even understand.”
Batool also claimed Sara was made to put her hands in the air after Sharif beat the youngster so bad the stepmum was terrified her legs and arms would be broken.
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She sent ten photos to her sister of Sara's bruises, saying: "This is how bad he is beating her…I feel really sorry for her."
Batool wrote in another text after the youngster was beaten for hiding her dad's keys: "Why doesn’t Sara learn. Don’t be dumb.”
She also described another alleged attack in April 2023, claiming Sara was not eating properly and was trying to make herself vomit.
The stepmum added: "Her oxygen level dropped really low, she’s finding it hard to stay awake … She’s breathing really rapidly.”
Jurors were told prosecutors dispute whether Batool gave an accurate or true picture of what was happening to Sara in the texts.
Sharif, Batool and Malik are accused of carrying out a violent two-year “campaign of abuse” before killing her.
Jurors heard previously how Sara "suffered dreadfully” and was burned with an iron, bitten and had a bag taped over head before she was found dead.
The schoolgirl was allegedly made to wear a hijab to conceal her injuries, which neighbours found "unusual"; as she was the only family member to wear one.
Between June 6, 2022, and March 10, 2023, teachers at Sara's school noted she had bruising under her eye on two separate occasions.
The school notified the authorities and a social services referral was made, the court heard.
But six days after the referral was made, jurors were told officials decided not to intervene.
On April 17, 2023, Sharif removed Sara from school confirming his daughter would be homeschooled with immediate effect.
Sharif, Batool and Malik fled to Pakistan the day after Sara died on August 8, the court was told.
Sharif then called police to say he had beaten Sara “too much” as a punishment for being naughty.
The cabbie had also left a note by his daughter's body that read: "I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her. But I lost it.”
Officers also discovered a cricket bat stained with Sarah’s blood, a rolling pin with her DNA and black rope with her hair attached to it.
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The defendants have pleaded not guilty to murder and to causing or allowing the death of a child between December 16, 2022, and August 9, 2023.
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