Sara Sharif’s uncle Faisal Malik has reportedly been moved to a much more comfortable prison which includes pool tables and a bistro following an attack on his brother at HMP Belmarsh
Sara Sharif’s uncle has reportedly been moved to a more luxurious prison with pool tables and painting courses after his brother was attacked. Sara’s dad Urfan Sharif and stepmum Beinash Batool were jailed for life with minimum terms of 40 years and 33 years respectively in December last year after being found guilty of her murder.
Sara’s uncle Faisal Malik was found guilty of causing or allowing her death and jailed for 16 years. He is now said to have been moved to HMP Lincoln after Urfan Sharif had his throat slashed with a tin can lid by two inmates at HMP Belmarsh in London.
READ MORE: Sara Sharif’s ‘sadist’ dad and stepmum have bid to appeal 73 year sentence THROWN OUT
As well as pool and table tennis tables, HMP Lincoln has various workshops including for painting, decorating and bricklaying, as well as a bistro. Inmates can earn qualifications at the prison, which holds around 650 men on four wings.
The prison’s website reads: “Lincoln Prison is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where men can learn new skills to help them on release, including workshops, education and vocational courses.”
The prison’s former governor Paul Yates told The Sun: “Most prisoners appreciate this equipment because in my 27 year career most want to come in, do their time and then get out. They then want to spend time with their families and move on with their lives. It is only a small minority of them that want to bring drugs in.”
Malik had been at Belmarsh where Urfan Sharif was attacked. It is understood Sharif, 43, was ambushed in his cell on New Year’s Day. The attack happened only weeks into his life term.
Despite the brutal attack, Sharif suffered injuries which were described as “non life-threatening”. A source said: “He was lucky to survive, has had to have stitches and will have scars as a permanent reminder of the attack.”
In a televised sentencing at the Old Bailey in December, Mr Justice Cavanagh said Sara’s death “was the culmination of years of neglect, frequent assaults and what can only be described as torture”, mainly at the hands of Sharif. Last Thursday, all three brought bids to challenge their sentences at the Court of Appeal, while the Solicitor General asked judges to increase Sharif’s “unduly lenient” sentence to a whole life order, meaning he would die in prison.
However, the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Mr Justice Soole and Mr Justice Goose, declined to alter the sentences. Baroness Carr described Sara as “a little girl full of personality, a beautiful, brave, feisty and spirited child”, adding that Sharif had “clearly derived grim satisfaction from his campaign of violence”.
Dismissing Sharif’s appeal, Baroness Carr said: “We can see no arguable basis to challenge the conclusion of the trial judge.” And dismissing Batool’s bid to reduce her sentence, she said there was no reason to conclude that the sentencing judge “made any material error”.
The judge also said Sharif would not be given a whole life order, saying it was a sentence of “last resort”. She said: “We are not persuaded that anything less than a whole life order was unduly lenient.” The Ministry of Justice has not responded to the report with a spokeswoman saying it “doesn’t comment on the location of prisoners”.
