Urfan Sharif, who was jailed last month for the murder of his 10-year-old daughter Sara Sharif, has been attacked in Belmarsh Prison, Sky News reported today.
On December 17, Urfan and Sara’s stepmother were jailed for 40 and 33 years, respectively, for her murder after a trial which heard harrowing details of her treatment.
Urfan is understood to have suffered slashes to his face and body, requiring stitches, Sky News reported, adding that he received local care inside prison.
A Prison Service spokesperson told Sky News: “Police are investigating an assault on a prisoner at HMP Belmarsh on 1 January.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further while they investigate.”
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said officers were probing “an allegation that a prisoner was assaulted at Belmarsh”, adding that “the 43-year-old suffered non-life-threatening injuries”.
According to British tabloid newspaper The Sun, Sharif was attacked by two inmates on New Year’s Day who used a jagged tuna tin lid in the ambush.
“Urfan was sliced up badly in his cell by two others who rushed in. It was planned and they used a makeshift weapon — made from the lid of a tin of tuna,” a source told The Sun.
“He was sliced in the neck and face, and is still in healthcare and in a very bad way.
“He was lucky to survive, has had to have stitches and will have scars as a permanent reminder of the attack. The guards tried to keep him safe because he obviously had a target on his back after the case was such big news.
“Something like this was always on the cards, and an attack was probably only a matter of time.
Sara was found dead in August 2023 at her home in Woking, a town southwest of London, after what prosecutors said was a campaign of “serious and repeated violence”.
The family fled to Pakistan immediately after she was killed, before they were arrested in September 2023 at London’s Gatwick airport after flying from Dubai.
On December 11 last year, a British court found Sara’s father and stepmother guilty of her murder.
The verdicts were delivered at the Old Bailey following an emotional and painstaking trial that revealed the horrific abuse Sara endured before her death on August 8, 2023, at her home in Woking, Surrey.
Prosecutors described the injuries Sara suffered as “utterly horrendous,” with detectives recounting a case that has been one of the most challenging they have ever handled.
Sara’s body was discovered two days after her death, bearing dozens of injuries sustained over weeks of relentless abuse. Speaking outside the court, Detective Chief Inspector Craig Emmerson of Surrey Police described the case as “particularly disturbing,” highlighting that Sara’s life was marked by suffering inflicted by those who were meant to protect her.
Urfan, 43, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, wept in the dock as the jury delivered its verdict. The judge, addressing the courtroom, emphasised the severity of the crime, and it is expected both will receive life sentences.
Sara’s uncle Faisal Malik, 29, though not guilty of murder, was found complicit in failing to prevent the abuse, a decision prosecutors hope will send a strong message about the responsibility of adults in protecting vulnerable children.
During the trial, for six days, Urfan denied almost everything.
But on the seventh day, he made an extraordinary U-turn. Jurors were left open-mouthed as Sara’s father began dramatically confessing. Trembling, he said he beat his daughter over a number of weeks repeatedly and with force. “She died because of me,” he said.
Lost to tragedy, Sara was remembered by her headteacher as a “cheerful little soul” who loved singing and dreamed of appearing on The X Factor. Her passion for the stage and her resilience in the face of adversity were celebrated even as details of her tragic death unfolded. “Sara’s bravery and spirit shone through despite the suffering she endured,” said Chief Inspector Emmerson.
