Sara Sharif’s stepmother was victim of ‘honour-based abuse’, court told

Sara Sharif’s father was attracted to her stepmother because she was a vulnerable young victim of “honour-based abuse”, a court has heard.

Taxi driver Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial for Sara’s murder, along with his wife Beinash Batool, 30, and brother Faisal Malik, 29.

On Tuesday, Batool’s lawyer rejected Sharif’s claim that she was violent towards Sara, saying he was the one who was controlling, abusive and manipulative.

Caroline Carberry KC suggested that when Sharif first met Batool, she was aged just 20 and “vulnerable” – just how he liked his partners to be.

Sharif, who is 12 years older than Batool, denied getting hold of her phone number from a shopkeeper at Woking station, insisting they met in his taxi.

Ms Carberry said he had known that Batool had been a “victim of honour-based” abuse and been placed in a refuge when she was a teenager.

“You knew the older people in her family thought she had shamed them by running away from home. Do you agree she was an isolated and lonely young woman?

“When you met her it was very obvious this was a young woman who was isolated from her family and struggling at that time in the world, a vulnerable young woman.

“A vulnerable young woman, just the way you like your partners to be,” Ms Carberry said.

Sharif replied: “No, she is anything but vulnerable.”

Jurors were shown a mobile phone video which Sharif had earlier claimed was evidence of Batool stopping him from leaving their home.

Ms Carberry said: “You have twisted this event to try to make it look like this was an abusive episode when in fact it shows you are the abusive and manipulative one.

“The very fact you would take out your phone and record this episode clearly demonstrates how controlling you were.”

Sharif replied: “That’s not right, she locked me in again and again and again.”

Ms Carberry pointed to a message from Batool to her sister about Sharif ripping up family photographs.

Batool told her: “I’m so dumb. I don’t want to live in an abusive relationship … seriously I’m so done with this.”

Ms Carberry said that the messages showed Sharif was “a little unhinged” and “paranoid”.

She said: “Her assessment she was in an abusive relationship with you is true.”

Sharif replied: “That’s not right.”

Jurors heard how Sharif had successfully fought for custody of Sara in 2019, in large part because of Batool and in spite of social services’ earlier concerns about the risk he posed.

Ms Carberry said: “In June 2016, you were ordered by a judge at Guildford family court to undertake a domestic violence perpetrator programme and that course is aimed at those who are deemed to be violent within a family context.

“Do you agree with the assessment of the court that you were a perpetrator of domestic violence?”

Sharif told jurors that it was suggested he do the course if he wanted contact with his family.

As with an earlier “parenting puzzle” course, he did not do “that great”, attending only 10 out of 16 sessions, Ms Carberry said.

The defendant rejected a course assessment that he could be “very manipulative” as well as concern he was unable to listen, “explore past behaviours” and “show empathy”.

Ms Carberry said: “Do you agree it appeared you had no insight into your behaviour and you treated the domestic violence perpetrator programme like a tick-box exercise.”

Sharif replied: “No, ma’am.”

Before gaining custody, Sharif had supervised visits with Sara at a centre in Woking, the court was told.

Sharif denied deflecting allegations he waved a knife at his ex-wife Olga by making it sound like a children’s “zombie game”.

He denied Sara would shout at him to “go away” during the visits, saying she was not even speaking at the time.

Sharif rejected further allegations that he swore, and kicked and hit Sara’s mother in the mouth, saying he had never been charged with an offence.

Sara was found dead at the family home in Woking, Surrey, last August 10 after the defendants fled to Pakistan.

The 10-year-old suffered dozens of injuries including human bite marks and iron burns, jurors have heard.

The defendants, formerly of Hammond Road, Woking, deny Sara’s murder and causing or allowing her death.

The Old Bailey trial continues.