Girl suffered fractures before death, court hears

Ten-year-old Sara Sharif had suffered a bid of bony fractures successful the pb up to her death, a tribunal has heard.

There was a fracture to Sara’s cervix bony (hyoid), which could person been caused by her being strangled, a prof told the Old Bailey.

Sara's begetter Urfan Sharif, 42, stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, person denied murder.

Jurors antecedently heard the miss had been hooded, burned, bitten and beaten during much than 2 years of abuse.

Her assemblage was recovered astatine their household location successful Woking, Surrey, past year.

Giving evidence, osteoarticular pathologist Prof Anthony Freemont told the tribunal helium had been asked to analyse 4 fractures arsenic portion of the post-mortem – 1 successful Sara’s cervix bony and 3 successful her hands.

He told jurors that the digit and wrist fractures had happened betwixt 12 and 18 days anterior to her death.

Sara besides had an older fracture successful her cervix bony which occurred six to 12 weeks earlier her death, Prof Freemont added.

He said: "The astir communal origin of these types of fractures is manual strangulation."

The pathologist added: “How could she get 29 fractures successful antithetic bones scattered astir the body?

"Could lone beryllium non-accidental."

The tribunal previously heard that Sara had suffered puncture wounds, burns, bruising and abrasions, and a post-mortem introspection recovered Sara had "probable quality wound marks", an robust pain and scalding from blistery water.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC antecedently said a bloodstained cricket bat, a rolling pin with Sara’s DNA connected it, a metallic pole, a loop and enactment were recovered adjacent the family’s outhouse.

The tribunal besides antecedently heard Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with Sara's 5 brothers and sisters connected 9 August 2023, the time earlier her assemblage was found.

Prosecutors said Mr Sharif called constabulary from Pakistan and admitted helium killed Sara astir an hr aft his family’s formation had landed successful Islamabad.

Jurors were told Mr Sharif's lawsuit was that Ms Batool was liable for Sara's death, and helium made a mendacious confession connected the telephone telephone and besides successful a enactment to support his wife.

The 3 defendants, who lived with Sara earlier her death, are besides charged with causing oregon allowing the decease of a child, which they deny.