Urfan Sharif, the 43-year-old man serving a life sentence for the murder of his 10-year-old daughter Sara Sharif, was brutally attacked at Belmarsh prison in south London on New Year’s Day. Two fellow inmates reportedly stormed his cell and assaulted him, using the sharp lid of a tuna tin to inflict wounds to his neck and face. Sources described his injuries as severe, stating he was “sliced in the neck and face” and remains hospitalized in a critical condition. The Met Police confirmed they are investigating an assault on a 43-year-old prisoner at HMP Belmarsh on January 1st, noting the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries. A Prison Service spokesperson declined further comment pending the police investigation.
Sharif’s attack comes just weeks after he received a minimum 40-year sentence at the Old Bailey, alongside Sara’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, who received a minimum of 33 years. Both were convicted of murdering Sara at their Woking, Surrey home. Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, was also sentenced to 16 years for allowing her death. The horrific details of Sara’s murder emerged during the trial: her body, discovered on August 10, 2023, showed 71 external injuries, including burns, bite marks, and at least 25 fractures, 11 of which were to her spine. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been murdered two days prior to the discovery of her body.
Following the murder, Sharif, Batool, and Malik fled to Pakistan with Sara’s five siblings, triggering an international manhunt. After nearly four weeks in hiding, they returned to the UK and were subsequently arrested. Justice Cavanagh, during sentencing, described their actions as “torture” and condemned their complete lack of remorse. Belmarsh, a high-security Category A prison, houses some of the UK’s most dangerous criminals, highlighting the severity of the environment in which Sharif now finds himself.