Sara Sharif’s dad tells jury he was worst parent on the planet

The father of Sara Sharif has told a jury he was the “worst parent on the planet”.

Urfan Sharif described his parenting as “very bad” and accepted he was unkind and cruel under cross-examination at the Old Bailey.

The court previously heard that Sara was hooded, burned and beaten during more than two years of abuse before she was found dead at her family home in Woking, Surrey, last year.

Mr Sharif, 42, Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, have denied murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

Warning: This article contains distressing details

A post-mortem examination found Sara had suffered dozens of injuries including “probable human bite marks”, an iron burn and scalding from hot water before she died on 8 August 2023.

Mr Sharif agreed that violence to Sara had become “normalised” at times in the house, but he said his brother, Mr Malik – who lived with the family – was unaware of Sara being beaten at home.

The prosecution challenged Mr Sharif about how others in the small three-bedroom home were unaware of violence to Sara.

“Everything was separate from Faisal Malik,” Mr Sharif said.

Under cross examination, he was questioned about a burn to Sara’s buttocks and bite marks, which he denies causing.

“To do that to Sara, to press and hold the iron across both her buttocks, two people had to do that?” prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC asked Mr Sharif.

“I don’t know how it happened,” Mr Sharif told jurors.

Mr Emlyn Jones KC asked if someone would have had to hold Sara down and restrain her.

“I don’t know sir, must have been the kids,” Mr Sharif told the court.

Mr Emlyn Jones KC asked: “How low will you stoop?”

The court previously heard 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.

Mr Sharif was pressed by Mr Emlyn Jones KC: “When you beat Sara so hard with a cricket bat that you broke her spine, did you intend to cause her a really serious injury?”

“No sir,” Mr Sharif said.

Jurors were previously told Mr Sharif’s case was that Ms Batool was responsible for Sara’s death, and he made a false confession in a phone call and also in a note to protect his wife.

On Wednesday he changed his evidence, saying: “She died because of me.”

He later denied intending to kill her.

The trial continues.