Sara Sharif: Father Urfan Sharif and stepmother Beinash Batool jailed for life for 10-year-old’s murder
Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother have been handed life sentences for murdering the 10-year-old after she suffered years of abuse.
Warning this story contains distressing details.
Urfan Sharif will serve at least 40 years in prison and Beinash Batool a minimum of 33 years.
Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, was also sentenced to a minimum of 16 years after being found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.
Sara’s mother Olga Domin, who lives in Poland, called them “cowards” in a victim impact statement read out in court, adding: “You are sadists, although even this word isn’t enough for you. You are executioners.”
Sara Sharif sentencing as it happened
Sara suffered ‘brutal’ abuse. Pic: Surrey Police
‘Campaign of abuse against Sara was torture’
In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Cavanagh said that Sara had suffered over 70 fresh injuries and 25 fractures at the time of her death.
“This poor child was battered with great force, again and again,” the judge said.
He said her injuries “included a fractured collar bone, two fractured shoulder blades, fractured ribs, a fractured humerus, eleven separate fractures to her spinal column, and fractures to bones in both of her hands.”
He added: “The degree of cruelty involved is almost inconceivable.
“It is no exaggeration to describe the campaign of abuse against Sara as torture.”
Sara’s injuries also included a “serious brain injury” sustained a few days before she died and two open burn wounds on her bottom matching an iron found at the house.
The judge said this was something that would’ve required two people to carry out, one to hold her down and one to inflict the injury.
She was also tied up, covered with a makeshift hood, beaten with a cricket bat and metal pole and bitten, in the weeks before her death.
Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik.
Pic: Surrey Police
‘A lively and joyful 10-year-old’
In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) described Sara as a “lively and joyful 10-year-old girl whose life was tragically cut short by the very people who should have protected and cared for her.”
Specialist prosecutor for CPS South East Libby Clark said that the case “painted a devastating picture” of the suffering Sara experienced before her death.
She added that the defendant’s actions after her death “demonstrated a shocking disregard for her life”.
She continued: “This has been an incredibly complex and distressing case, and it is thanks to the tireless work of the prosecution team, Surrey Police, international partners, and the CPS International Unit that we were able to secure justice for Sara.”
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‘I’ve killed my daughter’
Sharif, 42, Batool, 30, and Malik, 29, fled to Pakistan with the rest of their family after Sara was killed at their home in Woking, Surrey, on 8 August last year.
She was found in a bunkbed two days later after minicab driver Sharif called police saying: “I’ve killed my daughter.”
Sharif claimed “I beat her up too much” because “she was naughty”, adding: “I legally punished her, and she died.”
He had also written a three-page note found tucked under Sara’s pillow which said: “Love you Sara” and “I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her but I lost it”.
Sharif and Batool were found guilty of murder following a trial, while McDonald’s worker Malik, who also lived in the house, was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child.
The three adults, along with five children, were captured on CCTV at Heathrow Airport, where they boarded a flight to Islamabad the day after Sara’s death.
They were arrested as they returned to Gatwick Airport on 13 September.
Police said the case had “shocked and horrified” people around the world and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is among those who have called for answers after a series of opportunities were missed to protect Sara.
The family fled to Pakistan after Sara’s murder Pic: Surrey Police/PA
The three adults were arrested at Gatwick upon their return to the UK Pic: Surrey Police
Sharif had been arrested over allegations made by three different women, including domestic violence and making threats to kill, between 2007 and 2010.
Sara’s father and mother Olga Domin were known to social services as far back as 2010 and concerns were raised about her care within a week of her birth in 2013.
Surrey County Council repeatedly raised “significant concerns” that Sara was likely to suffer physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her parents.
But she kept being returned to their care before finally being placed with her father and stepmother at their home in Woking in 2019 following three sets of family court proceedings.
Prosecutors said Sara started wearing a hijab to hide her injuries before she was taken out of school to be educated at home in April 2023 after teachers spotted bruises on her face and referred her to social services – but the case was closed after six days.
Surrey County Council has said an independently-led safeguarding review of all professionals who had contact with Sara is under way.
A 53-year-old man has been charged after a car was driven into a crowd at Liverpool FC’s trophy parade.
Paul Doyle, from the West Derby area of Liverpool, has been charged with seven offences, Merseyside Police said.
The businessman, who is a father-of-three, is accused of two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and two counts of causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Paul Doyle
Doyle is also accused of two counts of attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and one count of dangerous driving.
He is due to appear before Liverpool Magistrates Court on Friday.
The charges relate to six people, including two children. A wounding charge and an attempted grievous bodily harm charge relate to a child.
A police car was outside Doyle’s four-bedroom detached family home in the West Derby area on Thursday morning.
According to his social media, he has travelled extensively including Japan, Fiji, India and Australia. Doyle has posted pictures of himself competing in triathlons, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
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New Liverpool incident footage
Thousands of fans were gathered in Liverpool city centre on Monday to celebrate the Premier League champions’ title win when a car struck a crowd on Water Street.
Police said a total of 79 people were injured in the incident, with the youngest aged nine, and the oldest being a 78-year-old.
Seven people remain in hospital in a stable condition.
Forensic officers at the scene in Water Street. Pic: PA
‘Huge volume of evidence’
Chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Mersey-Cheshire, Sarah Hammond, told a news conference on Thursday that the investigation was at an early stage and a “huge volume of evidence” was being reviewed.
“This includes multiple pieces of video footage and numerous witness statements. It is important to ensure that every victim gets the justice they deserve.
“The charges will be kept under review as the investigation progresses.”
Police ‘working tirelessly’
Also at the briefing where the charges were announced was Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Jenny Sims, who said: “I fully understand how this incident has left us all shocked and saddened, and I know many will continue to have concerns and questions.
“Our detectives are working tirelessly, with diligence and professionalism, to seek the answer to all of those questions. When we are able to, we will provide further information.”
The youngest victim injured in the Liverpool parade crash on Monday is nine years old, police have said.
They added that the oldest is 78, with all 79 people injured understood to be British. Seven remain in hospital in a stable condition.
Merseyside Police declined to say what drug the 53-year-old man arrested over the incident is alleged to have taken.
“We wouldn’t go into this detail at this stage of the investigation,” the force said.
Police at the scene in Liverpool. Pic: AP
Forensic officers in Water Street. Pic: PA
Police are still questioning the driver and were granted further time to do so on Wednesday.
Officers have until Thursday evening to question the man from West Derby.
He is in custody on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug driving.
Police believe the car which struck pedestrians was able to follow an ambulance crew attending to someone suffering a heart attack after a road block was temporarily lifted.
Hundreds of thousands of Liverpool fans had turned out to celebrate their team’s Premier League title when the incident unfolded on Water Street just after 6pm on Monday.
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‘My boy in his pram, got bounced’
‘The best day of my life turned into worst’
Sky News interviewed a lifelong Liverpool fan who said his five-month-old son was “bounced” 15ft (4.6m) in his pram after they were hit by the vehicle.
The child was not counted in the police’s injury tally.
Daniel Eveson, 36, also said his partner had been driven over.
“The best day of my life turned into [the] worst,” Mr Eveson said.
He added: “Me and my partner were flat on the roof, on the bonnet… we were just both trying to hold on for dear life with Ted next to us.
“And my partner went under the wheels of the car, of the front of the car, and it rolled over her leg, and I just bounced off to the side, but my boy and his pram got bounced totally in the opposite direction – about 15ft down the road.”
Read more:
How the parade crash unfolded
Police given more time to question Liverpool suspect
Why police released ‘unprecedented’ details
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Liverpool to meet with police chiefs and the local metro mayor.
He said he was being kept informed of developments, adding: “The scenes on Monday were just awful, to see how incredible joy at an amazing achievement turned to horror in a moment.”
Messages of support have been sent to the people of Liverpool, including from the King who said: “I know that the strength of community spirit for which your city is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales said they were “deeply saddened” by the incident.
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