WhatsApp messages from Sara Sharif's step-mother reveal abuse

WhatsApp messages from Sara Sharif's stepmother read to a court yesterday laid bare the abuse inflicted on the schoolgirl who was forced to 'stay up all night doing sit ups as punishment.' 

The court heard how the schoolgirl was 'literally beaten black' by her father Urfan Sharif, 42, as jurors were shown pictures of inside the house where 10-year-old was found dead.

Sharif, his wife Beinash Batool, 30, and brother, Faisal Malik, 29, all deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

Sara was found to have ten spinal fractures and further fractures to her right collar bone, both shoulder blades, both arms, both hands, three separate fingers, bones near the wrist in each hand, two ribs and her hyoid bone in the neck. 

Messages recovered from Batool's sister's phone were yesterday shown to jurors at the Old Bailey, in which the stepmother described how Sara was 'beaten up like crazy', on one occasion forced to do 'sit ups all night' because she was 'naughty'. 

Jurors were yesterday shown footage of the three defendants leaving the country after Sara was killed. In the pictures, dated August 9, 2023, Sara's family can be arriving at Heathrow Airport in London before passing through passport control as they boarded a flight to Pakistan. 

In some messages Batool told her sister not to call her because Urfan was at home.

In one message on 12 February 2022 Batool messaged her sister saying that Urfan had arrived home and her sister replied 'it's okay. Just ignore. In one ear out the other.'

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Batool then told her: 'He's beating Sara up.'

'Why. He's not okay,' the sister replied.

'Cause she's being naughty. Sara has anxiety. Whatever she eats she vomits out,' Batool said.

'That's not good,' the sister replied.

'She's a child, I think grown ups need to understand,' Batool said.

'Yeah of course but tell her to behave,' the sister replied.

'I do like 20 times a day,' Batool said.

'Clearly Urfan won't understand- you need to tell Sara. Bribe her,' the sister replied.

'I do, bought her a toy, let's see. Urfan's behaviour makes her do it more,' Batool said.

'If something happens to Sara I will not be able to forgive myself,' the sister said.

Batool claims Urfan was abusing both her and Sara, while he claims Batool was responsible for the killing. 

Sara had at least 71 external injuries inflicted on her and was bitten and tortured with a hot iron in the days before she died at the home in Woking, Surrey.  

Batool sent repeated messages to her sister Qandeela Saboohi saying Urfan was 'beating the c**p' out of Sara for the three years before her death, the court heard.

She described Urfan having 'anger attacks' and being unable to control himself.

On July 31, 2020, Batool said Urfan had 'gone crazy' and 'broke all the photo frames'.

Batool said she was going to call the police and her sister replied 'no man just tell him to calm down.'

On December 21, 2020 Batool said Sara had been 'rude' so Urfan had got angry and broken the curtains.

Ms Saboohi replied: 'You lot need to put the Quran on loud during the day and stop watching The Dumping Ground.'

Batool said: 'If she tells that Urfan hits her like crazy and all the bruises he will live to regret.'

She said: 'You're not here to see what I go through, I literally have to push Urfan out of the way and see Sara.'

Batool then sobbed in the dock as the jury were shown photographs she sent her sister of Sara's bruises.

'This is how bad he is beating her,' Batool text her sister.

'Poor girl,' Ms Saboohi replied.

'Yeah, I feel really sorry for her he beats the cr*p out of her,' Batool replied.

The next day Batool told her sister that Sara had cut up Urfan's clothes and he was 'punishing' her.

When asked why Sara misbehaved Batool said: 'She says Urfan is mean to her and that's why.'

Batool then told her sister that Urfan was going to make Sara stay up all night and do sit ups.

On January 24, 2021 Batool told her sister that Urfan went 'ballistic' and 'beat Sara up like crazy.'

On May 8, 2021 she said he was going crazy again and said 'he's literally gonna break her arm or leg I have no idea what to do.'

Her sister told her to read a verse in the Quran.

Batool said: 'I'm in the other room he's locked us out, he's not opening the door and I'm literally dying.'

Ms Saboohi again told her to just read the Quran.

Later Batool said she was in bed and Urfan was in the other room with Sara.

'He's making her put her hands up,' she said.

The next day Batool said: 'Urfan beat the cr*p out of Sara and my mind is all in bits.'

'Why doesn't Sara learn don't be dumb?' Ms Saboohi said.

'Why the hell doesn't Urfan learn, she's covered in bruises literally beaten black,' Batool replied.

When asked where Urfan was she said 'sitting on his fat bum and playing Ludo.'

She said: 'Why the hell am I even letting him in the house. I feel really sorry for Sara the poor girl can't walk, she literally fainted in the kitchen in the morning he made her do sit ups all night.'

On February 9, 2022, Batool said Urfan had woken up Sara up in the night to hit her because he 'randomly' got angry about her behaviour.

On February 12, 2022 Batool said Sara was being beaten up and her sister repeatedly told her to read the Quran and stay calm.

In June 2022 Batool told her sister she and Urfan were going to take Sara out of school because she could no longer hide her bruises.

On May 25, 2023 Batool told her sister 'Urfan beat the cr*p out of Sara. He beat her up like crazy. Her oxygen level has dropped really low she's finding it hard to stay awake.'

Ms Saboohi blocked her sister on 11 August 2022.

In messages to her other sister Batool told her not to call her because Urfan was at home.

In one message on February 12, 2022 Batool messaged her sister saying that Urfan had arrived home and her sister replied 'it's okay. Just ignore. In one ear out the other.'

Batool then told her: 'He's beating Sara up.'

'Why. He's not okay,' the sister replied.

'Cause she's being naughty. Sara has anxiety. Whatever she eats she vomits out,' Batool said.

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'That's not good,' the sister replied.

'She's a child, I think grown ups need to understand,' Batool said.

'Yeah of course but tell her to behave,' the sister replied.

'I do like 20 times a day,' Batool said.

'Clearly Urfan won't understand- you need to tell Sara. Bribe her,' the sister replied.

'I do, bought her a toy, let's see. Urfan's behaviour makes her do it more,' Batool said.

'If something happens to Sara I will not be able to forgive myself,' the sister added.

On November 24, 2022 Batool told her sister that Urfan had left her and was going to Pakistan.

She said she had moved their money to her own bank account but he had taken all the cash from the house.

Batool told her sister: 'He went crazy today.'

On February 6, 2023, Batool's sister texted her asking how Sara was, saying 'I feel so sorry for her.'

'She's fine, I explained to her like I do every night,' Batool replied.

'Bless her there's something not right with her like mentally she needs to get help,' the sister replied.

'She's an innocent soul tough who needs love, I think Urfan's struggling with it as well like he doesn't know how to deal with it,' Batool said.

Batool's sister blocked her on WhatsApp on August 11, 2023, the day after Sara's body was found, the court heard.  

Jurors were yesterday shown footage of the family leaving the country after Sara was killed.

Ring doorbell footage shows the family leaving Hammond Road in a BMW X5 at 9.16am on 10 August 2023.

The car is then seen arriving at Heathrow short stay car park with Urfan in the driver's seat.

CCTV shows Urfan, Batool and Malik going through security and passport control at the airport before boarding their flight to Pakistan around 1.22pm.

The flight departed at 2pm.

Sara was found to have ten spinal fractures and further fractures to her right collar bone, both shoulder blades, both arms, both hands, three separate fingers, bones near the wrist in each hand, two ribs and her hyoid bone in the neck.

After the killing Sharif, Batool and Malik fled to Pakistan, leaving Sara's body in the three-bedroom house in Woking.

They were arrested more than a month later on September 13 last year at Gatwick Airport having flown back from Dubai.

Sharif, Batool and Malik, all deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues.