Sara Sharif murder trial latest: Pathologist tells jury what caused 10-year-old’s death
Sara Sharif died as a result of “complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect”, a pathologist has said.
The school girl had suffered two traumatic injuries in the days before her death, as well as 71 recent injuries including bruises, abrasions, skin ulcers consistent with burns and probable bite marks.
On the third day of her murder trial on Wednesday, jurors were shown graphics outlining a string of injuries found on the 10-year-old’s body.
The Old Bailey previously heard her head was covered with “homemade hoods” made of plastic bags and parcel tape in the weeks before her death.
Fingerprints allegedly belonging to the schoolgirl’s father, Urfan Sharif, were found on one of the bags and a bit of parcel tape.
Earlier, the Old Bailey heard neighbour Chloe Redwin, who used to live above the family at a previous address in 2020, would hear “shockingly loud” sounds of “smacking” from their home followed by “gut-wrenching screams”.
Surrey Police discovered Sara dead in a bedroom at her home in Woking on 10 August last year.
Urfan Sharif, 42, is standing trial for her murder before Mr Justice Cavanagh alongside Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 29.
Key Points
Sara died of ‘complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect’
Reading his conclusions, Dr Cary gave Sara’s cause of death as “complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect” and described it as “unnatural”.
He said the findings were in keeping with “significant and repetitive blunt force trauma” and did not exclude the possibility of Sara’s burns contributing to her death through sepsis.
Previously, jurors have heard Sara had suffered “probable human bite marks”, an iron burn and scalding from hot water.
Traces of the 10-year-old’s blood were discovered on the kitchen floor, a vacuum cleaner and a cricket bat following a police search of the family home, the prosecution said.
The defendants, of Hammond Road in Woking, have denied murder and causing or allowing the death of a child between December 16 2022 and August 9 2023.
No natural diseases or drugs had contributed to Sara’s death
Dr Cary presented his findings from a post-mortem examination of Sara’s body he carried out on 15 August 2023 which took around three hours.
Sara had a height of 1.37 metres and a weight of 27 kilograms, with both measurements within the average bracket for a child her age but towards the lower end, the court heard.
The court heard no natural diseases or drugs had contributed to Sara’s death.
Among the older injuries were “blotchy scarring” on the left jawline, multiple purple scars around the pelvis, marks from the lower left leg to the top of the foot and fine scars and blotchy brown discolouration on the left forearm.
Recent injuries were identified across all parts of Sara’s body, including on her face, fingers, ankles and back.
The key dates in Sara Sharif’s tragic death
Ten-year-old Sara Sharif died after an alleged “campaign of abuse” in the home she shared with her father, stepmother and uncle.
Taxi driver Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of his daughter’s murder alongside Sara’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29.
Police found Sara’s body in a bunk bed in her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 last year following a call from Sharif in Pakistan saying he “beat her up too much” for being “naughty”, the court has heard.
How did this happen to Sara Sharif? What we know about the events leading to schoolgirl’s death
Taxi driver Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of his 10-year-old daughter’s murder alongside Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29. All three deny murder and the defence is yet to mount its case.
What did the court hear on Wednesday?
On the third day of the trial at the Old Bailey, jurors heard:
Sara Sharif had suffered more than 70 injuries shortly before she was found deadA pathologist gave her cause of death as “complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect”. No natural diseases or drugs had contributed to her death, which was described as “unnatural”. Older injuries included scarring on her left jawline, scars around her pelvis, a puncture wound to her forehead and marks from the lower left leg to the top of the foot. Bruises on her legs were likely caused by “multiple impacts with a linear object”, likely an item used as a weapon. Traces of the 10-year-old’s blood were discovered on the kitchen floor, a vacuum cleaner and a cricket bat
Pathologist ‘can’t exclude’ possibility that burns contributed to death, court told
The pathologist noted he “could not exclude” the possibility that burns contributed to Sara’s death through sepsis.
Dr Cary said there was a chance that infection could have entered her blood stream and caused generalised collapse.
The schoolgirl had suffered at least 71 injuries inflicted the the days before her death, including a number of skin ulcers consistent with burns. There was a large area of ulceration on Sara’s buttock, the court heard, while there two ulcerated areas over her ankle bones.
The jury previously heard Sara had suffered “probable human bite marks”, an iron burn and scalding from hot water.
The defendants deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.