Girl’s stepmother was ā€˜possessedā€™, court told

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Girlā€™s stepmother was ā€˜possessedā€™, court told

Surrey Police An image of Sara Sharif. She is wearing a hijab and is smiling, looking directly at the camera. Surrey Police

Sara Sharifā€™s body was found at her home in Woking on 10 August last year

A stepmother accused of killing 10-year-old Sara Sharif was ā€œpossessedā€ like ā€œsomeone has done black magic on herā€, a court has been told.

Saraā€™s body was found with dozens of injuries at the familyā€™s home in Woking, Surrey, last year, the Old Bailey was told.

Her father Urfan Sharif, 42, stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, have denied murder.

Giving evidence, Mr Sharif told jurors that Ms Batool was abusive towards him and that her family told him that she had a ā€œproblemā€.

ā€œSheā€™s very, very crazy when she goes into that mindset. She doesnā€™t stop,ā€ he told the court.

ā€œHer family would come and say, ā€˜do not leave herā€™. Her family said, ā€˜she is possessed [like] someone has done black magic on herā€™,ā€ he told jurors.

He also denied ever beating Sara, adding that there was not a single incident with him and the children when he was at home.

ā€œEverything happened at home while I was at work,ā€ he told the court.

Jurors were told Mr Sharifā€™s case was that Ms Batool was responsible for Saraā€™s death, and he made a false confession on the phone call and also in a note to protect his wife.

Warning: This article features distressing details

Two videos filmed by Mr Sharif on his mobile phone were played to jurors on Wednesday.

Mr Sharif said Ms Batool had accused him of flirting with a hospital nurse, before she ā€œabusedā€ him at their home and ā€œdid not let me get out of the houseā€ in February 2016.

ā€œShe was twisting my hands. Before that she kicked me,ā€ he told the court.

In the video played to jurors, Mr Sharif can be heard saying to his wife, ā€œyouā€™re pushing meā€ and that he was going to use the recording as ā€œevidence against herā€.

In the second recording, filmed in June 2019, Mr Sharif can be heard repeatedly telling Ms Batool to ā€œlet me goā€ and ā€œleave me aloneā€.

Mr Sharif is then seen climbing out of the kitchen window.

He told the court Ms Batool had ā€œslappedā€ him, adding that ā€œshe locked the front doorā€ and ā€œshe gets really angryā€.

Surrey Police Images side by side of Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik. All three are looking directly at the camera. Surrey Police

Urfan Sharif (left), Beinash Batool (centre) and Faisal Malik (right) are each facing charges relating to the death of Sara Sharif

Mr Sharif also told jurors that it was Ms Batoolā€™s decision for Sara to be home schooled.

He said Sara informed him she was being bullied, but he did not agree with Ms Batoolā€™s decision to home school their daughter at first.

Naeem Mian KC, for Mr Sharif, previously told the court that Ms Batool was ā€œthe true villainā€.

He told the jurors that Mr Sharif arrived home to find Sara ā€œlimpā€ on 8 August 2023, before attempting CPR and begging for an ambulance to be called.

ā€œHe was told in Urdu or Punjabi, ā€˜leave it, sheā€™s deadā€™,ā€ by Ms Batool, Mr Mian KC added.

An artists impression of Urfan Sharif in the witness box at the Old Bailey.

Saraā€™s father, Urfan Sharif, told jurors he had never bitten, burnt or beaten his daughter

The court previously heard that Sara was hooded, burned and beaten during more than two years of abuse.

A post-mortem examination found Sara had suffered dozens of injuries including ā€œprobable human bite marksā€, an iron burn and scalding from hot water before she died on 8 August 2023.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC previously said a bloodstained cricket bat, a rolling pin with Saraā€™s DNA on it, a metal pole, a belt and rope were found near the familyā€™s outhouse.

The court also previously heard Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with other family members on 9 August 2023, the day before Saraā€™s body was found.

Prosecutors said Mr Sharif called police from Pakistan and admitted he killed Sara about an hour after his familyā€™s flight had landed in Islamabad.

The three defendants, who lived with Sara in Woking before her death, are also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, which they deny.



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