Sara Sharif’s father, stepmother and uncle deny murdering 10-year-old
Three members of Sara Sharif’s family have pleaded not guilty to her murder.
The 10-year-old’s father, Urfan Sharif, stepmother, Beinash Batool, and uncle, Faisal Malik, are accused of killing the youngster, whose body was discovered at her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10.
All three appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link on Thursday and pleaded not guilty ahead of a trial in September next year.
They also pleaded not guilty to causing or allowing the death of a child between December 16 2022 and August 9 2023.
A previous court hearing was told that police found Sara’s body under a blanket on a bunk bed at her home after receiving a call from Pakistan, which lasted eight minutes and 34 seconds, at 2.47am on August 10.
The court was also told the defendants had booked a flight to the country two days earlier.
Prosecutors told the Old Bailey that Sara was found to have “a constellation of healed and healing injuries”.
The day before her body was discovered, the three defendants had left the UK for Pakistan with five children.
They returned to the UK on September 13 and were arrested on landing at Gatwick Airport.