Two inmates at HMP Belmarsh in South London reportedly ambushed Urfan Sharif in his cell with the jagged edge of a tuna tin lid, weeks after he was locked away for life for the murder of daughter Sara
Sarah Sharif’s murderous father has reportedly been attacked in prison, as two inmates slashed his throat with the lid of a tin can.
It is understood Urfan Sharif, 43, was ambushed in his cell at tough HMP Belmarsh, South London, on New Year’s Day. The attack happened only weeks into Sharif’s life term with a minimum of 40 years for the murder of his 10-year-old daughter before he is eligible for parole.
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,” they told the Sun.
Sharif was jailed last month alongside Sara’s stepmum Beinash Batool, 30, and the girl’s uncle Faisal Malik, 29 . A post-mortem examination found Sara had suffered 25 fractures and 71 external injuries including bite marks and iron burns.
Sharif was found guilty of murder and jailed for a minimum of 40 years. Batool was handed a 33-year minimum term after also being found guilty of murder. Malik, who lived with the couple, was handed a 16-year jail term for causing or allowing the death of a child.
Sara’s body was found by police in her bunk bed on August 10, 2023. A post mortem uncovered 25 fractures and 71 external injuries, including six human bite marks, and burns from a domestic iron.
Last month, after the sentencing, Sara’s mother Olga said the trio should all “die in prison”. She said: “I still can’t believe what is going on, this situation. It’s not human to do this stuff to your own child. They should all get the same for what they were doing.”
She added of Urfan: “Monster is too nice word for him anyway. I hope he will be dying in jail.
“If anything has come from Sara’s death is he is off the street and it will be a safer place for women without him. If I could push that syringe for a lethal injection I would do it with a smile on my face.”
Sara was beaten to death four years after taxi driver Sharif was awarded custody, despite accusations of abuse against him, jurors heard. William Emlyn Jones KC, prosecuting, said Sharif created a “culture of violent discipline”, where assaults on Sara had “become completely routine, completely normalised”.
Police discovered Sara’s lifeless body on August 10, 2023, following a frantic phone call from her father, who sobbed as he told the operator: “I’ve killed my daughter. I legally punished her, and she died.”
Last night, the Prison Service said: “Police are investigating an assault on a prisoner at HMP Belmarsh on January 1. It would be inappropriate to comment while they investigate.”
A Met spokesman added officers are probing “an allegation that a prisoner was assaulted at Belmarsh”.
He added: “The 43-year-old suffered non life-threatening injuries.”
Handing down sentencing last month, Mr Justice Cavanagh said Sara was treated “as if she was worthless” and neither her father nor stepmother had “any concern for her happiness”. The judge asserted Sara had been “singled out” for abuse among her siblings because she was a girl and not Batool’s “natural child”.
He added: “Sara was treated as a skivvy from the family, from the age of six or seven she was made to do the washing up and tidy the house.”
