Sentence appeal bids rejected for father and stepmother of murdered Sara Sharif

The father and stepmother of Sara Sharif will not have their sentences for the 10-year-old's murder reduced, appeal judges ruled.

Urfan Sharif was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of at least 40 years in prison and Beinash Batool a minimum of 33 years.

Sara's uncle, Faisal Malik, was also sentenced to a minimum of 16 years after being found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.

All three brought bids to challenge their sentences at the Court of Appeal, while the Solicitor General asked judges to increase Sharif's sentence to a while life order under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme.

Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr - who heard the case with Mr Justice Soole and Mr Justice Goose at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London - declined to alter their sentences.

She said: "We can see no arguable basis to challenge the conclusion of the trial judge.

"None of the sentences imposed in this case can properly be described as manifestly excessive.

"We are not persuaded that anything less than a whole life order was unduly lenient.

"The judge who heard the lengthy trial was right to describe Sara's death as the culmination of years of neglect, frequent assaults and torture."

Baroness Carr added that the court should give "great weight" to Mr Justice Cavanagh's assessment, as he was "in the very best position to make the assessment that he did."

Sara was found dead in a bunk bed at the family home in Woking, Surrey, in August 2023.

She had suffered 71 recent injuries at the time of her death, including 25 broken bones, iron burns on her bottom, scalding marks to her feet, and human bites, appeal judges were told.

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