Sara Sharif murder trial latest: Radiologist had never seen 10-year-old’s ‘very rare’ injury on child before

Schoolgirl Sara Sharif was hooded, restrained and beaten with a belt buckle and pole in a “campaign of abuse” lasting more than two years before her death, a court has heard.

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.

Police found Sara’s body in a bunk bed in her family home in Woking, Surrey, on 10 August last year, with “disturbing” injuries that included bitemarks, scalding and broken bones.

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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 dead
• A 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

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.

A “gaping” head wound was among 71 injuries found on Sara Sharif’s body by a forensic pathologist.

Dr Cary, who carried out a three-hour post-mortem examination on 15 August 2023 last year, told jurors she suffered a puncture wound on her forehead which was “sharp or semi-sharp” and had been left “gaping”.

Other recent injuries were identified across all parts of Sara’s body, including on her face, fingers, ankles and back. She was 4ft 6 and weighed 4 stone 3lbs.

He also identified multiple scars on her body, including “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.

The court heard no natural diseases or drugs had contributed to Sara’s death.

Pathologist Dr Cary concluded the 10-year-old died from complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect, the court heard.

Her death was described as “cumulative” rather than being attributed to one specific injury or incident.

However the pathologist said she may have gradually succumbed to two traumatic brain injuries she suffered two to five days earlier if she was left unattended.

In his conclusions he noted “widespread” injuries to the skin’s surface, including puncture wounds, bruising and internal injuries to the abdomen.

“These findings are in keeping with significant and repetitive blunt force trauma,” he told the Old Bailey, adding that the pattern of injuries are in keeping with the use of an “instrument”.

The schoolgirl suffered two traumatic brain injuries inflicted two to five days before she died, the court heard.

The head injuries could have caused neurological symptoms including loss of consciousness, concussion, headaches, irritability, vomiting and seizures. These “might have contributed to the death together with other injuries”, the jury were told.

Shortly before her death her brain was deprived of oxygen causing a separate ischemic brain injury which was described as a potential “terminal event” by Dr Cary.

She also suffered bruising consistent with blunt force impact to the abdomen, Dr Cary said.

Detailing the internal injuries, pathologist Dr Nathaniel Cary said he found evidence of “conspicuous haemorrhage” at the site of “intense” bruising on Sara’s chest.

The expert agreed the injury was a “broad collar” of bruising over the front of the schoolgirl’s upper chest under questioning by prosecutor Mr Emlyn Jones.

He previously described the injury as “intense purplish red bruising” around her neck and torso. He said these could have been the result of either “blunt impact or solid pressure, or both”.