Girl, 10, suffered fractures before death, court hears

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Ten-year-old Sara Sharif had suffered a series of bone fractures in the lead up to her death, a court has heard.

There was a fracture to Sara’s neck bone (hyoid), which could have been caused by her being strangled, a professor told the Old Bailey.

Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 42, stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, have denied murder.

Jurors previously heard the girl had been hooded, burned, bitten and beaten during more than two years of abuse.

Her body was found at their family home in Woking, Surrey, last year.

Giving evidence, osteoarticular pathologist Prof Anthony Freemont told the court he had been asked to examine four fractures as part of the post-mortem – one in Sara’s neck bone and three in her hands.

He told jurors that the finger and wrist fractures had happened between 12 and 18 days prior to her death.

Sara also had an older fracture in her neck bone which occurred six to 12 weeks before her death, Prof Freemont added.

He said: “The most common cause of these types of fractures is manual strangulation.”

The pathologist added: “How could she get 29 fractures in different bones scattered around the body?

“Could only be non-accidental.”

Under cross examination, Caroline Carberry KC, for Ms Batool, put it to Prof Freemont that “despite the very terrible nature of these fractures, Sara survived them”.

“Yes”, the professor replied.

The court previously heard that Sara had suffered puncture wounds, burns, bruising and abrasions, and a post-mortem examination found Sara had “probable human bite marks”, an iron burn and scalding from hot water.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC previously said 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.

The court also previously heard Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with Sara’s five brothers and sisters on 9 August 2023, the day before her body was found.

Prosecutors said Mr Sharif called police from Pakistan and admitted he killed Sara about an hour after his family’s flight had landed in Islamabad.

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

The three defendants, who lived with Sara before her death, are also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, which they deny.