Sara Sharif's dad should have sentence increased to whole life order, court hears

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 a minimum term of 40 years and 33 years respectively in December last year 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.

At a hearing on Thursday, Tom Little KC, for the Solicitor General, asked the judge to increase Sharif's sentence, stating that Sara's murder was a rare case of such "exceptionally high seriousness" that it warranted a whole life order for Sharif.

Judges at the Court of Appeal are hearing the application on behalf of Lucy Rigby KC MP, who says 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.

The hearing continues.

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