THE murder trial at the Old Bailey has exposed the alleged prolonged abuse of ten-year-old Sara Sharif, with prosecutors suggesting her father is still "controlling the narrative" even during legal proceedings.
Urfan Sharif, 43, along with his wife Beinash Batool, 30, and Faisal Malik, 29, stand accused of murdering Sara and causing or allowing her death. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During closing arguments, Michael Ivers KC, representing Malik, strongly defended his client. "He gave his teeth marks because he'd never bitten, never burnt, never hit," Ivers said, stressing that there was no direct evidence linking Malik to Sara's death.
The court heard distressing evidence of Sara's suffering, revealing she had endured more than two years of abuse before her body was discovered at the family home in Woking, Surrey, last August.
Her remains bore dozens of injuries, indicating systematic mistreatment. Urfan previously admitted responsibility for Sara's death but denied any intention to kill her.
During his testimony, he contradicted earlier statements, specifically denying beating Sara on 6 August 2023, just two days before her death.
Ivers suggested that Urfan's changing narrative was strategic, stating, "Urfan Sharif is controlling the narrative even now." He argued that the potential cause of Sara's death might be straightforward - the beating Urfan initially acknowledged.
According to him, the prosecution's case relies heavily on circumstantial evidence. He described the allegations against his client as "bluntly laughable" and highlighted inconsistencies in the prosecution's argument.
“In a nutshell, he [Urfan] accepted a beating that he had delivered on the 6th and there was then some breaks ….in the end we got to a position where the indictment wasn’t put again. What if it was, what if he had pleaded guilty….and the Crown were asking questions based upon what had happened on the 6th?," Ivers KC was quoted as saying.
“If he’d said yes, if he’d said guilty, do you think anybody would be scratching around trying to add a bruise to a bite etc…etc…some cumulative effect when the answer is staring at you in the face about what caused her death. Urfan Sharif is controlling the narrative even now."
With closing speeches completed, the judge has now begun summarising the case for the jury, who will ultimately determine the fate of the three defendants.
Sabrina Nabi, Kerena Jagpal, and Sayyid Aki, who portray Zoya, Leyla and Khalil, respectively, in Community
