Overview

• Urfan Sharif, his wife Beinash Batool, and his brother Faisal Malik are on trial at the Old Bailey for the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif in August 2023.
• Sharif admitted to beating Sara with a cricket bat and a metal pole but claimed he did not intend to seriously harm or kill her.
• Defense lawyers argued that only Batool knows the full details of Sara's death, as she has chosen not to testify during the trial.
• Prosecutors described Sharif as manipulative and accused him of backtracking on his confessions to avoid a murder conviction.
• The trial has also revealed failures by social services and law enforcement to act on prior abuse allegations against Sharif, allowing him to retain custody of Sara.