A provisional trial date has been set for next year for the alleged murder of ten-year-old Sara Sharif by her father, stepmother and uncle.
Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfan’s brother, Faisal Malik, 28, all of Woking, have each been charged with the young girl’s murder as well as with a separate charge of causing or allowing her death between December 16, 2022 and August 9, 2023.
The three defendants left the UK for Pakistan the day before Sara’s body was found at her home on August 10, and a post-mortem examination found she had suffered from ‘multiple and extensive’ injuries.
An earlier hearing was told she was found under a blanket on a bed with two notes placed under her pillow.
The trio appeared via video links for their hearing at the Old Bailey earlier this week.
Batool, wearing a grey t-shirt, is being held at HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey.
Sharif, wearing a grey tracksuit, and Malik, wearing a red shirt, are being held at the high-security, Category A HMP Belmarsh prison in Thamesmead, south-east London.
The men were sat together on a red sofa in a large, blue room.
None of the three defendants in the Sara Sharif murder case – each represented by their own legal counsel – applied for bail, and all were remanded into custody before a plea and trial preparation hearing on December 1 at the Old Bailey.
His Honour Judge Mark Lucraft, KC, set a provisional date for the trio’s trial for September next year, and suggested a High Court judge could preside over proceedings.
Prosecutor Giles Bedloe briefly outlined the case, explaining that Sara’s dead body was found on a bottom bunk of the family home in Horsell last month.
He told the court the three defendants had flown to Islamabad on August 9 – the day before police found Sara’s body – along with five children.
Mr Bedloe added that Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, had called Surrey Police 52 minutes after their flight arrived in the Pakistani capital. He also told the court police found two handwritten notes behind the young girl’s head.
Post-mortem examinations of Sara’s body were said to be ongoing.
Judge Lucraft, fixing a future date of December 1 for a plea and trial preparation hearing, said: “So far as the dates are concerned the proposed stage dates are October 31 for stage one.
“Stage two, defence statement: November 28. Plea and trial preparation on the first of December.
“I think it sensible to have a provisional trial date set. The earliest available is September 2, 2024. That date can be reviewed at the plea and trial preparation hearing in December.
“This court is extremely busy. Finding fixtures at this court is very difficult. It may be that the trial can be tried elsewhere. These three defendants will be remanded into custody.”
All defence counsel agreed to the provisional trial date for next September.