A neighbor of Sara Sharif, who expressed concern about the “screaming” coming from the 10-year-old’s home, recounted her experience in court, saying she was met with a door shut in her face. Rebecca Spencer, who lived in an apartment above the Sharif’s former residence in West Byfleet, reported hearing “constant crying” and “banging” that once reached “fever pitch.”
Spencer approached the home to check if everything was okay and spoke to Sara’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, who assured her everything was fine before abruptly closing the door. Batool, 30, along with Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 42, and Sharif’s brother Faisal Malik, 29, face murder charges, which they deny. The trial is ongoing at the Old Bailey.
Jurors previously learned that Sara had endured hooding, burning, biting, and beatings over a span of more than two years of abuse.
Sara’s body was discovered at the family home in Woking, Surrey, in August of last year, following their move to the property just a few months earlier.
In her testimony, Spencer described hearing “crying,” “rattling of doors,” “a lot of door slamming,” and “hysterical screaming” directed at the children coming from the flat. She also mentioned that she heard a woman using “not very nice words” but had not observed any visible bruises on the children and did not reach out to law enforcement or social services.
Another neighbor, Chloe Redwin, recalled living near the Sharifs for nearly two-and-a-half years, stating that the only times it was quiet were when the family was on vacation. Redwin suspected she heard “smacking” from below followed by a scream.
The court was also informed that on August 9, 2023, the day before Sara’s body was found, Mr. Sharif, Ms. Batool, and Mr. Malik traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan. The three defendants are charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, which they also deny.
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