Sara Sharif’s father should serve whole life order, court told

The father of Sara Sharif should have been given a whole life order for his daughter’s murder, the Court of Appeal has been told.

Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool were jailed for life in December, with minimum terms of 40 and 33 years respectively, after being found guilty of the 10-year-old’s murder.

Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, was found guilty of causing or allowing her death and was jailed for 16 years. All three are asking for their sentences to be reduced, but the Solicitor General wants Sharif’s sentence increased.

At the same hearing on Thursday, Tom Little KC, for the Solicitor General, said Sara’s murder was a rare case of such “exceptionally high seriousness” that it warranted a whole life order.

Judges at the Court of Appeal are hearing the application on behalf of Lucy Rigby KC MP, who said Sharif’s sentence of a minimum of 40 years was “unduly lenient”.

Sara was found dead in a bunkbed at their family home in Woking, Surrey, in August 2023.

She suffered 71 injuries, including 25 broken bones, iron burns on her bottom, scalding marks to her feet and human bite marks.

In written submissions to the Court of Appeal, the Solicitor General said the judge was wrong not to impose a whole life order on Sharif.

She said the facts amounted to “the most horrendous and extensive period of torture in the victim’s own home”.

At the same hearing, Sharif, Batool and Malik appeared separately via-video-link from prison.

Naeem Mian KC, for Sharif, argued his client’s sentence was “plainly manifestly excessive”.

The hearing continues.