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Sara Sharif suffered two traumatic brain injuries inflicted two to five days before she died, a court has heard.
A pathologist has detailed 71 recent injuries including bruises, abrasions, skin ulcers consistent with burns, probable bite marks and an incised wound consistent with sharp force trauma on her left arm.
On the third day of her murder trial on Wednesday, jurors were shown graphics outlining a string of injuries found on the 10-year-old’s body, with a pathologist also detailing skeletal injuries.
The Old Bailey previously heard her head was covered with “homemade hoods” made of plastic bags and parcel tape in the weeks before her death.
Fingerprints allegedly belonging to the schoolgirl’s father, Urfan Sharif, were found on one of the bags and a bit of parcel tape.
Earlier, the Old Bailey heard neighbour Chloe Redwin, who used to live above the family at a previous address in 2020, would hear “shockingly loud” sounds of “smacking” from their home followed by “gut-wrenching screams”, and thought Urfan Sharif was “conscious of the noise his family made, because on occasions he would apologise for it”.
Surrey Police discovered Sara dead in a bedroom at her home in Woking on 10 August last year.
Urfan Sharif, 42, is standing trial for her murder before Mr Justice Cavanagh alongside Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 29.
Schoolgirl had ‘gaping’ head injury, court told
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.
Sara Sharif’s death was caused by multiple injuries and neglect, court told
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”.
Sara suffered two traumatic brain injuries 2 to 5 days before her death, court told
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.
Schoolgirl suffered ‘conspicuous haemorrhage’ at site of shoulder-to-shoulder bruising, court told
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”.
Pictured: Note found next to Sara Sharif’s body
The key dates in Sara Sharif’s tragic death
Ten-year-old Sara Sharif died after an alleged “campaign of abuse” in the home she shared with her father, stepmother and uncle.
Taxi driver Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of his daughter’s murder alongside Sara’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29.
Police found Sara’s body in a bunk bed in her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 last year following a call from Sharif in Pakistan saying he “beat her up too much” for being “naughty”, the court has heard.
Read the full article here:
Schoolgirl suffered at least 71 fresh injuries although true total unknown, jury told
Jurors were taken through a catalogue of at least 71 recent injuries found on Sara Sharif’s body by a pathologist.
However Dr Cary told the Old Bailey that it is impossible to know if each mark was the result of one injury or multiple injuries, meaning the total figure is not known.
“There are multiple marks all over the body,” the expert told the court. They include bruises, abrasions, skin ulcers consistent with burns, probable bite marks and an incised wound consistent with sharp force trauma on her left arm, the court heard.
In addition, a CT scan revealed multiple skeletal injuries, the jury was told.
The schoolgirl was subjected to a “campaign of abuse” and suffered “brutal” injuries in the weeks before she died, it is alleged. All three defendants deny charges of murder and causing or allowing her death.
Full transcript of Sara Sharif’s father’s phone call to police
Sara Sharif’s father cried as he confessed to killing his daughter in a phone call to police from Pakistan, a court has heard.
Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of murdering 10-year-old Sara alongside her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29.
On Thursday, jurors were played a recording of the eight-and-a-half-minute phone call Sharif made to the police non-emergency 101 number on 2.47am on 10 August 2023, two days after Sara died.
Here is the full transcript of the recording.
Pathologist details string of bruises, burns and injuries found on Sara Sharif’s body
Jurors at the Old Bailey are being shown graphics outlining a string of injuries found on the 10-year-old schoolgirl’s body.
Dr Nathaniel Cary, who carried out the post-mortem, described finding “intense purplish red bruising” around her neck and torso.
Giving evidence, he said these would have been the result of either “blunt impact or solid pressure, or both”.
He also found bruising with “tram track features” on her torso. This was consistent with “being struck with an elongated object” he explained under questioning from prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC.
“That would produce a tram track type bruise.”
Multiple parallel transverse linear red marks found were also found elsewhere on her body. The expert said suffering a number of strikes was the “simplest explanation” for this type of injury.
The pathologist also found a number of skin ulcers consistent with burns, the jury were told. The injuries were described as a combination of older and fresher marks.
Listen: Sara Sharif’s father tells 999 operator he’s killed daughter
Source: independent.co.uk
