Jury begins deliberations in Sara Sharif murder case

The jury in the case involving the father, stepmother, and uncle of 10-year-old Sara Sharif has withdrawn to deliberate on their verdicts. Urfan Sharif, aged 43, Beinash Batool, aged 30, and Faisal Malik, aged 29, have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and causing or allowing Sara’s death. At the Old Bailey, the jury was informed that they have the option to consider manslaughter for each defendant as an alternative to the murder charge. Sara’s remains were discovered last year at the family residence in Woking, Surrey, bearing numerous injuries. Testimony presented earlier in court indicated that Sara had endured more than two years of abuse, involving being hooded, burned, and beaten. High Court Judge Mr Justice Cavanagh instructed the jury, composed of nine women and three men, on Tuesday that they should strive to reach unanimous verdicts if possible. The jury commenced their deliberations shortly before 13:00 GMT, following the judge’s completion of the case summary. Mr Justice Cavanagh assured them there was no time constraint, emphasizing that all participants in the trial merited their “complete attention and thoughtful consideration”. Mr Sharif, Ms Batool, and Mr Malik, accompanied by Sara’s siblings, traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan, on August 9, 2023, which was the day prior to the discovery of her body. During the trial, pathologist Dr Nathaniel Cary previously testified that Sara’s death resulted from “complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect”.