Sara Sharif begged parents’ forgiveness, jury told

Sara Sharif begged her parents for forgiveness for “being rude” in a letter discovered after her death, a court has heard.

The 10-year-old’s letters and notebook were seized by police after her body was found with dozens of injuries at the family’s home in Woking, Surrey, last year.

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

Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 42, stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, have denied murder and causing or allowing her death.

Officers went to the family’s house the day after Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with Sara's five brothers and sisters on 9 August 2023.

In an undated and misspelled letter to Mr Sharif and Ms Batool shown to jurors, Sara wrote that she was “sorry for being rude” and “answering back”.

“Please forgive me. I am so, so sorry,” it said.

In a birthday message to her father, Sara wrote: “I love you so much. Thank you for looking after us on the weekends. And making food for us at the weekends. Thank you dad. From Sara.

“Our family is the best in town. We spread love all around the world.”

Her notebook also contained a short fairy tale about a queen called Beinash and a princess called Sara.

Sara also described Ms Batool as the “best caring and loving mother in the world” in the notebook.

At the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Cavanagh also told the jury that they may consider an alternative charge of manslaughter.

He said while murder and causing or allowing the death of a child were the charges on the indictment, manslaughter could also be considered if the jury was not certain that murder had been proved.

For a conviction on a charge of manslaughter, the jury must be sure that the defendants intended to cause “some physical harm”, he added.

A post-mortem examination found Sara had suffered injuries including "probable human bite marks", 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 Sara’s DNA on it, a metal pole, a belt and rope were found near the family’s outhouse.

Under cross-examination, Mr Sharif previously accepted “full responsibility” for Sara's death, but later denied intending to kill her.

He also told the jury he was lying when he called his wife, Ms Batool, a “psycho” earlier in the trial.

Mr Sharif admitted beating Sara, but denied biting or burning her.

The trial continues.