Sara Sharif's killers in sentence appeal bid

Urfan Sharif, the father of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool, are seeking permission to appeal their sentences for murdering Sara. Sara was found dead at her home in Woking, Surrey, in 2023 after enduring two years of abuse involving being hooded, burned, and beaten.

Following a trial at the Old Bailey last year, 43-year-old Urfan Sharif and 30-year-old Beinash Batool were sentenced to life imprisonment. Sharif must serve a minimum of 40 years in prison before being considered for release, while Batool's minimum term is 33 years. Sara's uncle, 29-year-old Faisal Malik, was also sentenced to 16 years in prison for causing or allowing her death.

Court officials have confirmed to the BBC that Sharif, Batool, and Malik have all submitted applications to the Court of Appeal. In the cases of Sharif and Batool, life imprisonment is an automatic sentence, so they will be appealing against the minimum terms they must serve in prison. Currently, a date for the appeal hearing has not been set.

During the trial, the court heard that a post-mortem examination revealed Sara had suffered injuries including six possible human bite marks, iron burns, and hot water burns before her death on August 8 last year. Police found a note, written in her father's handwriting, next to Sara's body on a bunk bed, which read: "To whoever is reading this, it is me Urfan Sharif who has beaten my daughter which led to her death."

Sharif initially claimed that Batool was responsible for Sara's death and told the jury that he had made false confessions in the note and subsequent phone calls to protect his wife. However, under cross-examination, Sharif dramatically changed his position and admitted to being "wholly responsible" for his daughter's death. When police found Sara's body, she had over 70 new external injuries, including 11 fractures to her spine and signs of traumatic brain injury.

On August 9, 2023, the day before Sara’s body was discovered, Sharif, Batool, and Malik fled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with Sara's five siblings. While in Pakistan, Sharif called UK police and told the operator that he had "lawfully punished" Sara, which led to her death.