Teacher saw Sara Sharif's bruised face, jury told

Sara Sharif’s teacher doubly saw her astatine schoolhouse with bruises connected her look 5 months earlier she was recovered dead, a assemblage has heard.

Helen Simmons told the Old Bailey that Sara said she “had fallen implicit connected immoderate roller-skates" aft she saw her injuries successful March 2023.

Sara's assemblage was recovered with dozens of injuries astatine her household location successful Woking successful August past year.

Her begetter Urfan Sharif, 42, stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle Faisal Malik, 29, person denied murder. The proceedings continues.

Jurors antecedently heard Sara had been hooded, burned, bitten and beaten during much than two years of abuse.

Ms Simmons, who was Sara’s teacher successful Year 4 and Year 5, said she saw “a bruise connected the underside of her chin and 1 connected her cheek".

She said that aft Sara did not springiness a accordant relationship of her injuries, her school, St Mary’s superior successful West Byfleet, made a referral to Social Services.

More than 2 weeks later, Ms Batool “marched towards” her and said Sara had a bruise connected her face, the tribunal heard.

“She told maine it was made by a pen,” she said.

“She said earlier I jumped to conclusions again, it was conscionable a pen”

“It was strange. It felt precise defensive,” Ms Simmons said.

Ms Simmons besides said Sara had doubly been taken retired of schoolhouse for home-schooling, erstwhile successful June 2022, and again aft April 2023.

She said connected the archetypal juncture the schoolhouse wanted to recognize wherefore and her begetter and stepmother said “they were disquieted astir her advancement astatine schoolhouse and her friendships".

Ms Simmons described Sara arsenic “essentially a blessed child”, “often bubbly” and said that “at times she could beryllium sassy".

“She could beryllium precise spirited and rather bold and fierce successful what she wanted to say.”

“She loved to beryllium connected the signifier and singing and performing. That was her blessed space."

Earlier the assemblage heard from Usman Choudhry and his sister Fatima Choudhry who was a people adjunct astatine Sara’s school.

They some said they had heard Ms Batool swearing astatine Sara's siblings successful Punjabi.

Mr Choudhry said helium had besides seen Ms Batool dragging the children.

The tribunal antecedently heard Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik were arrested successful the UK aft they had travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, connected 9 August 2023, the time earlier Sara's assemblage was found.

The 3 defendants are besides charged with causing oregon allowing the decease of a child, which they deny.