Sara Sharif's father jailed for minimum of 40 years and stepmother for minimum of 33 for her murder
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Sara Sharif's father and stepmother have been handed life sentences for murdering the 10-year-old after she suffered years of abuse. Urfan Sharif, 42, will serve at least 40 years and Beinash Batool, 30, a minimum of 33 years. Sara's uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was also sentenced a minimum of 16 years after being found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.
Sara Sharif latest: Father and stepmother sentenced for her murder. Sara's mother Olga Domin, who lives in Poland called them "cowards" in a victim impact statement read out in court, adding: "You are sadists, although even this word isn't enough for you. You are executioners.".
Sharif, Batool and Malik fled to Pakistan with the rest of their family after Sara was killed at their home in Woking, Surrey, on 8 August last year. She was found in a bunkbed two days later after minicab driver Sharif called police saying: "I've killed my daughter.".
Sharif claimed "I beat her up too much" because "she was naughty", adding: "I legally punished her, and she died.". He had also written a three-page note found tucked under Sara's pillow which said: "Love you Sara" and "I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her but I lost it".
Sara was found to have sustained more than 70 injuries, including bruises, broken bones, burns and bite marks, the Old Bailey heard. Prosecutors said she had suffered a "brutal" campaign of "appalling" abuse from at lest the age of six. She was tied up, covered with a makeshift hood, beaten with a cricket bat, burnt with an iron and bitten, in the weeks before her death.
