LONDON: Three members of Sarah Sheriff’s British-Pakistani family have been found guilty of the death of a 10-year-old after years of terrifying trials.
Her father Urfan Sharif, 42, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, were convicted of murder, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 29, was found guilty of causing or causing her death after a trial at the Old Bailey.
Justice Kavanagh adjourned sentencing until next Tuesday, telling the jury the case was “extremely complex and traumatic”.
Sara was beaten four years after Urfan, a taxi driver, was arrested, the judge said.
Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said Urfa’s abuse of Sara “was routine, a pattern of violence”.
He alleged that Urfa intended to cause him serious harm and that the other two defendants participated in, aided or abetted the abuse.
The accused fled to Pakistan after the death on August 8, 2023, at the family home in Woking, Surrey.
When Urfan reached Islamabad, he called the police and claimed that he had “beat her badly”.
Officers went to his former home and found Saraf’s broken and beaten body on the bunk bed, with Urfa’s creed written on the pillow.
Sarah suffered more than 25 broken bones after she was repeatedly hit with a cricket bat, an iron pole and a mobile phone.
He had broken bones in his neck, iron burns on his fists, boiling water burns on his legs, and human bite marks on his waist and thighs.
Jurors were told there was evidence he was bound with duct tape and hooded during the attack, leaving him in excruciating pain.
Batul told her sisters that Urfa had “beaten” Sara several times over the course of more than two years, but she didn’t say what happened.
Until January 2023, Sarah started wearing a hijab to cover her wounds at school.
Teachers noticed the marks on his face and contacted social services in March of that year, but the case dropped within days.
The following month Sarah was expelled from school and the violence against her escalated in the week before her death.
On August 8, Sarah collapsed and called Batool Urfa home and called her family 30 times.
Jurors were told that Urfan’s reaction to finding his daughter lying near death in Batol’s arms was to “stab” her twice in the stomach with a pole.
Hours after Sarah’s death, the couple arranged a flight for her and her family to Pakistan the next day.
The accused returned to England on September 13, 2023, leaving their other children traveling with them, and were arrested within minutes of the flight at Gatwick Airport.
Urfan, who testified in court, initially accused Batool of violence and said he was working when his daughter was assaulted.
On the seventh day of his testimony, he changed his story dramatically and took “full responsibility” for Sarah’s death.
Jurors were surprised and teary-eyed, and Batool cried in the dock during her husband’s testimony.
He admitted to hitting Sarah several times with a cricket bat and a bat, choking her with his bare hands and hitting her on the head with a mobile phone.
He refused to burn her or put a hood on her head as a “punishment” for her “rude” behavior.
Later, he confessed and said he didn’t want to seriously hurt Sarah, even though he admitted he wanted to change his request.
An inquest found two other children associated with him had been burned and bitten and turned into “common horses”.
Although the teeth on Sarah’s body do not match Urfa’s teeth, it is suggested that the teeth can stimulate Batool, who refuses to give up their influence.
Batula, Sarah’s mother Olga and two Polish ex-boyfriends are suspected of controlling and manipulating him.
Batool and university student Malik refused to give evidence but denied involvement.
On behalf of Batoul, Urfa was said to be the “sole perpetrator” of violence against her “spirited, brave and fierce” daughter.
Caroline Carbery KC said: “There is no doubt that Urfan Sheriff sought to silence him through beatings, surveillance, corporal punishment and ill-treatment.
“Terrorizing not only Sarah, but other people living under her roof.”
“Surrey Police’s thoughts are with Sarah’s mother, siblings and those who knew Sarah during her short life,” Chief Superintendent Mark Chapman told PA News after the verdict.
“During this trial, members of the public will hear or read horrific details about Sarah’s injuries and neglect. We will
