AG百家乐在线官网

A harrowing case that shocked the country has been brought to a conclusion with the jailing of Sara Sharif's father and stepmother for her murder.

Urfan Sharif will serve at least 40 years in prison, while her stepmother Beinash Batool will serve a minimum of 33 years.

Sara's uncle Faisal Malik was also sentenced to a minimum of 16 years for causing or allowing the death of a child. 

Over more than an hour of sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Cavanagh set out the campaign of abuse Sara suffered at the hands of Sharif and Batool, but told the court that, despite it all, she remained a "very courageous little girl with an unquenchable spirit". 

Scroll back through this live page to follow sentencing as it happened - or you can read the full story here: 

This video shows the moment that Mr Justice Cavanagh jailed Sara Sharif's father, stepmother and uncle after more than an hour of sentencing remarks: 

The Crown Prosecution Service has just released a statement.

Specialist prosecutor Libby Clark describes Sara Sharif as "a lively and joyful 10-year-old girl whose life was tragically cut short" by the people who should've protected her.

She says the evidence "painted a devastating picture of the suffering Sara experienced leading up to her death and the campaign of abuse she was being subjected to in her own family home". 

Her injuries revealed the extent of the "cruelty inflicted" on her, while her father, stepmother and uncle's decision to flee to Pakistan "demonstrated a shocking disregard for her life," she says.

 "Today's sentences reflect the cruelty and gravity of their crimes - and while no sentence can bring Sara back, we hope this outcome is able to provide some small comfort to all those that knew and loved her," she adds.

Our news correspondent Sabah Choudhry is outside the Old Bailey where Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik have just been sentenced. 

"This was met in court by clapping in the public gallery and tears from Sharif and Batool," she says.

"Now that the trial is over, there are some serious questions for the authorities.

"Who was responsible for putting this little girl in a position which eventually led to her murder?

"Given that the police and social services were aware of the family and of Sara's case, an inquest and safeguarding review we know is due to look into this to get some answers in the new year.

"For Sara's mum, for her siblings, for her friends, the damage is already done. But today at least will give the family some closure and a sense of justice for their little girl." 

There are cheers and applause from the public gallery as the judge passes sentence, with one person heard to say "evil" before the defendants are taken down to the cells, writes Henry Vaughan in court.

Sara's uncle Faisal Malik, 29, who was cleared of murder but found guilty of causing or allowing Sara's death, is sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Her stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, is given a life sentence with a minimum term of 33 years for murder

Sara Sharif's father Urfan Sharif, 42, is given a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for murder.

Warning: Post contains distressing details

The judge is running through other factors that have influenced his sentence for Urfan Sharif, which he is set to deliver shortly. 

He returns to the night Sara Sharif died, when the family came home to find the 10-year-old clearly unwell, likely caused by a brain injury inflicted a few days earlier.

"When you came home on 8 August 2023 and found Sara very close to death, you did not call an ambulance or seek medical help," he says.

Instead Sharif's first reaction "was to beat her with a metal rod for causing trouble", the judge says.

"She was still conscious... this means that the last thing that Sara felt before she died had been her own father, beating her for supposedly faking injury."

Sara Sharif's father wipes tears from his eyes with a tissue and blows his nose, writes Henry Vaughan in court.

Urfan Sharif begins visibly shaking slightly as the judge describes his daughter and speaks of a birthday card she sent him - see more details in our previous post.