The trial heard how a post-mortem examination found Sara had suffered injuries including six probable human bite marks, an iron burn and scalding from hot water before she died on 8 August last year.
Next to Sara’s body, which was found by police in a bunkbed, was a note in her father’s handwriting which read: “Whoever see this note, it’s me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating.”
Sharif initially claimed that Batool was responsible for Sara’s death, and told the jury he had made a false confession in the note and a subsequent phone call in order to protect his wife.
However, in a dramatic U-turn under cross-examination, Sharif later accepted “full responsibility” for his daughter’s death.
Sara had more than 70 new external injuries when her body was found by police, including 11 fractures to her spine and signs of a traumatic brain injury.
Sharif, Batool and Malik fled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with Sara’s five siblings on 9 August 2023, the day before her body was found.
From Pakistan, Sharif called police in England and told the operator that he “legally punished” Sara and she died.
