Sara Sharif's father weeps in court as he denies murdering his daughter

Urfan Sharif's barrister blames his client's wife, Beinash Batool, for Sara's murder, claiming the taxi operator arrived location to find his girl dormant and asked: 'What the hellhole has happened?'

Sara Sharif's begetter sobbed successful the witnesser container contiguous arsenic helium denied murdering his daughter.

Taxi operator Urfan Sharif, 42, is connected proceedings astatine the Old Bailey accused of sidesplitting the 10-year-old, on with her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29. Sara was recovered dormant successful furniture astatine her location successful Woking, Surrey, connected August 10 2023 aft Sharif called constabulary from Pakistan to accidental helium had beaten her "too much".

She suffered dozens of injuries, including burns and quality wound marks, successful what the prosecution allege was a run of abuse. On Tuesday, Sharif denied physically abusing and sidesplitting Sara arsenic helium began to springiness grounds successful his defence.

His barrister, Naeem Mian KC, asked: "Are you liable for the decease of Sara Sharif?" The suspect replied: "No." Sharif besides denied that helium bit, burned oregon bushed up his girl with either a cricket bat oregon a achromatic pole. Jurors heard that Sharif initially decided to instrumentality the blasted for Sara's decease and spell to Pakistan aft Batool claimed that different kid had injured her. Mr Mian suggested that Sharif had wrongly been formed arsenic the "villain of the piece" due to the fact that helium lone disciplined her with a "slap".

Sharif had been moving erstwhile Sara collapsed astatine location past August 8 and Batool told him to "come home", the tribunal heard. Mr Mian told jurors: "He came location and recovered her upstairs, with Beinash Batool, limp. He volition archer you that helium asked 'What the hellhole has happened?', arsenic immoderate 1 of your fig would. Having been told what had happened, helium said 'I volition instrumentality the blame'. He volition archer you that helium attempted CPR, that helium begged for an ambulance to beryllium called arsenic helium did CPR. And helium was told successful Urdu oregon Punjabi 'Leave it, she's dead, permission it, she's dead'."

The barrister formed suspicion connected Batool, pointing to her refusal to springiness dental impressions to comparison with wound marks connected Sara and WhatsApp messages to her sisters successful which she claimed Sharif had beaten his girl up. Sharif wept successful the witnesser container arsenic helium described his daughter, saying: "She was beautiful, an angel, lovely, bubbly ... her favourite nutrient was chickenhearted biryani and she hated eating bread. Her hobby was playing guitar and singing, her privation for what she wanted to beryllium erstwhile she grew up was a ballet dancer. Her favourite big was her grandad, my father. Her favourite colour was pink."

Mr Mian said: "Did you bushed your biologic daughter, Sara?" Sharif replied: "I did slap her. I person tons of flaws successful my life, but I ne'er bushed her. Never." The suspect besides denied "controlling" his woman Batool, saying they had a accepted narration - helium worked and she was the "boss" astatine home. Sharif claimed that successful 2016, Batool had deed him connected the caput with a citrus squeezer erstwhile helium archetypal wanted to permission and connected different juncture attacked him with a broom.

Mr Mian said: "The assemblage person heard a full batch of substance messages from your woman to her sister and they span a agelong time, a mates of years, and determination are immoderate substance messages that accidental for example, 'Urfan is beating the crap retired of Sara'. Did you ever bushed the crap retired of Sara?" The suspect denied it. Mr Mian went on: "Why would the stepmother of Sara nonstop her sister messages saying that you're beating Sara up erstwhile you're not?" Sharif replied: "I don't recognize why. I'm not adjacent location astatine those moments successful time, I'm astatine work." Jurors heard that Sara went to unrecorded with her begetter aft helium had an acrimonious divided from her biologic mother, Olga.

During the resulting custody conflict allegations "flew around" connected some sides, the tribunal was told. Sharif said helium had met his ex-wife online successful 2009 and they broke up astir 2014. He alleged that his erstwhile woman had "bitten" different kid and "abused" Sara during and aft their marriage. Of allegations she levelled astatine him, helium said: "She did impeach maine of having an matter with Beinash. She accused maine of being controlling. She made accusations of home unit and kid abuse. I was arrested once. When I was arrested I took disconnected my garment and showed them, really it was maine that was abused by her. Olga admits she was convulsive towards me."

Mr Mian told jurors that Batool had supported Sharif passim the custody battle, contempt being "perfectly alert of the allegations" being made against him. Sharif told jurors helium had completed a home unit programme for six months contempt denying helium was ever convulsive towards his ex-wife. He said helium had pleaded blameworthy to stealing £1,700 but had nary different convictions. All 3 defendants, formerly of Hammond Road, Woking, person denied execution and causing oregon allowing the decease of a kid betwixt December 16 2022 and August 9 2023. The proceedings continues.