(MENAFN- Live Mint) Ten-year-old Sara Sharif lost her life in a case that has left the public shocked. Her father, Urfan Sharif has now admitted in court to being responsible for her death but denied any intention to kill her.
The 42-year-old father, along with his 30-year-old wife, Beinash Batool, and 29-year-old brother, Faisal Malik, has been charged with Sara's murder. Her body was discovered in their home in Surrey, UK, in 2023, bearing signs of severe injuries. Under cross-examination at the Old Bailey, Sharif made a shocking confession.
“She died because of me,” the BBC quoted him as saying.
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Previously, he had claimed that his wife, Batool, was to blame and admitted to making false confessions to protect her. However, on November 13, Sharif suddenly changed his stance. He admitted the truth behind his earlier statements in a phone call and a written note.
Sharif admitted to subjecting Sara to severe beatings over weeks, including the night of August 6 last year, when he confessed to badly assaulting her. He revealed using objects such as a cricket bat and a metal pole to strike her while she was restrained with tape.
The father also admitted to causing fractures to Sara. Despite this, Sharif told the court that he intended to“discipline” Sara, not to kill her.
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The UK court previously heard that Sara had suffered prolonged abuse over more than two years, with injuries including burns and bruises. These details left some jury members visibly shocked as Sharif's admissions unfolded. During the hearing, Batool was seen sobbing uncontrollably. Then, she left the courtroom.
Sara was 'pretending'
Sharif maintained that he never intended to take Sara's life but accepted full responsibility for the fatal consequences of his actions. Batool's barrister Caroline Carberry KC reminded Sharif that he had told his wife that Sara was“pretending”.
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“You took the metal pole. You gave her couple of whacks on the abdomen while she was lying there very unwell," Carberry KC told him.
Sharif was in tears when he admitted that the information was accurate.
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