Sara Sharif's stepmother weeps in dock at video of her dancing

The stepmother accused of murdering 10-year-old Sara Sharif wept in court today  as a video was played of the schoolgirl dancing energetically just days before her death.

Sara was found dead at her home in Hammond Road, Woking, on August 10 2023 after suffering at least 71 external injuries inflicted on her as a result of torture and regular beatings.

Her father, cab driver Urfan Sharif, 42, stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, McDonald’s worker Faisal Malik, 29, all deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The video played at the Old Bailey, taken on August 6 2023, showed Sara dancing in the living room while watching TV.

In the footage she appeared happy and energetic as she copied an alien dancing on the television.

Batool’s barrister Caroline Carberry, KC, said her client did not dispute that Sara was subjected to extensive physical abuse over a period of time.

Dr Nat Cary, a consultant forensic pathologist who conducted Sara’s postmortem answered questions from defence barristers at the Old Bailey.

She said Sara had fractures from at least four separate episodes of violence which were healed or in the stages of healing and were not the cause of death.

Ms Carberry asked if the injuries could be consistent with being caused by a cricket bat or by a pole from a high chair found in the home, and Dr Cary said they could.

She added that it did not appear Sara was suffering symptoms from her brain injury in the video.

Ms Carberry asked: 'Do you agree that behaviour is inconsistent with her having sustained a brain injury with neuropsychological symptoms?'

To which Dr Cary responded: ‘Yes, she appears to be conscious and moving in a coordinated manner.'

Ms Carberry suggested this meant Sara was not left to succumb to her injuries ‘over some days’ as Dr Cary had suggested may be a possibility.

Dr Cary said if the date of the video was correct there was likely to have been another serious injury sustained between the video and Sara’s death.

Batool cried in the dock as the video of Sara dancing was played in court.

As well as having non-fatal bruising to the brain, 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.

‘Quite how that multiplicity of injuries caused death - there would be a range of possibilities,’ Dr Cary said.

After the death of 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.

The trial continues.