Sara Sharif: Two guilty of murder

THREE members of Sara Sharif’s family have been found guilty over the 10-year-old’s death, after years of horrific abuse.

Her father, Urfan Sharif, 42, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, were found guilty of her murder, while her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was convicted of causing or allowing her death, after a jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for nine hours and 46 minutes.

Mr Justice Cavanagh adjourned sentencing until next Tuesday, telling jurors that the case had been “extremely stressful and traumatic”.

Sara was beaten to death four years after taxi driver Sharif was awarded custody, despite accusations of abuse against him, jurors heard.

Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said Sharif had gone on to create a “culture of violent discipline”, where assaults on Sara had “become completely routine, completely normalised”. He alleged that Sharif had meant to cause her serious harm and the other two defendants took part in the abuse, encouraged or helped him.