The horrific murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif shocked the world, sparking outrage against her father, Urfan Sharif, who later confessed to the brutal killing of his young daughter.
However, the tragic story did not end with the horrifying abuse that led to Sara’s death. The disturbing details continue, as justice took an unexpected turn behind bars.
Once imprisoned, news of Urfan’s crimes quickly spread among fellow inmates. The convicted child killer soon found himself the target of vigilante justice at the hands of other prisoners.
On August 8, 2023, the world was devastated by the heartbreaking news of Sara Sharif’s death. The young girl had endured a two-year-long “campaign of torture” before her body was discovered at the family home in Woking, Surrey. According to BBC reports, she had been hooded, burned, and beaten.
Upon arriving at the scene, police found Sara’s lifeless body on a bunk bed alongside a handwritten confession from her father, which read: “Whoever sees this note, it’s me, Urfan Sharif, who killed my daughter by beating. I am running away because I am scared.” He further claimed, “I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her. But I lost it.”
Shockingly, the day before Sara’s body was discovered, Urfan, along with two other family members, fled to Pakistan.
Following a weeks-long international manhunt, Urfan Sharif, 42, his brother Faisal Malik, 29, and his wife, Beinash Batool, 30, were arrested and charged in connection with Sara’s tragic death.
‘She Died Because of Me’
During court proceedings, it was revealed that Sara had suffered over 70 injuries, including fractures to her ribs, shoulder blades, and spine, a puncture wound to the head, traumatic brain injury, burns from a domestic iron, and human bite marks.
Initially, all three suspects denied involvement. However, in court, Urfan Sharif changed his stance and admitted, “She died because of me.”
On December 17, 2024, Sharif was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 40 years. Batool received a life sentence with a minimum of 33 years. Malik was sentenced to 16 years for causing or allowing the death of a child. During sentencing, Mr. Justice Cavanagh condemned their actions as “a campaign of torture” marked by “almost inconceivable cruelty.”
Sara’s mother, Olga Domin, described the perpetrators as “sadists” and “executioners” in a statement read in court. Addressing her daughter, she said, “She is now an angel who looks down on us from heaven. She is no longer experiencing violence.”
Prison Justice
Once inside South London’s HMP Belmarsh—dubbed “Britain’s Guantanamo Bay”—Sharif quickly became a marked man. In prison, crimes against children are considered the lowest offense, and Urfan’s reputation made him a target.
According to sources, Sharif attempted to keep a low profile, but his past soon caught up with him. On New Year’s Day, just weeks into his life sentence, he was ambushed by two inmates wielding a makeshift weapon— a jagged tuna can lid.
“Urfan was badly sliced up in his cell,” an insider revealed. “The attack was planned, and he suffered serious wounds to his neck and face. He was lucky to survive, required stitches, and will have permanent scars as a reminder of the attack.”
Prison guards had been trying to protect him, knowing he had a target on his back due to the high-profile nature of his case. “An attack was only a matter of time,” the source added. “Many inmates feel justice was served.”
One of Urfan’s suspected attackers is reportedly Steve Sansom, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence for killing and dismembering 38-year-old Sarah Mayhew in 2024. Sansom was previously convicted in 1999 for the murder of cab driver Terrence Boyle, 59.
What are your thoughts on the attack against Urfan Sharif in prison? Share your opinions and let us know what you think!
11 Actors Who Had a Chance to Portray a Legendary Character but Missed It
There are many ways to get a starring role. Some actors are selected during castings, while others are invited due to their popularity, which is what happened to Kate Winslet after Titanic. But not all auditions end successfully, or actors may not agree to offers made by film directors or producers. For example, Russell Crowe refused to star in Lord of the Rings because his intuition told him so.
At Bright Side, we imagined what our favorite characters would look like if other people portrayed them.
Daenerys Targaryen — Elizabeth Olsen
The actress, who has become famous for her role of the Scarlet Witch, failed auditions for the role of Mother of Dragons at the beginning of her career. Elizabeth Olsen later described what happened: “It was the most awkward audition I’d ever had. I was doing the Khaleesi speech when she comes out of the fire. It was awful. I didn’t get a callback.” As a result, Daenerys was played by Emilia Clarke.
Aragorn — Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe was asked once whether he regretted refusing to play Aragorn in the iconic trilogy, Lord of the Rings. The actor honestly replied that he had never thought about it and explained why he didn’t join the project. According to Crowe, Peter Jackson never really wanted to cast him for the role of Aragorn. Russell’s instinct told him that the director already had a suitable person in mind, so he politely declined the offer.
Ellie Sattler — Gwyneth Paltrow
In 1992, Gwyneth Paltrow wanted to get the role of Dr. Ellie Sattler. This part would’ve really helped the career of the aspiring actress because Jurassic Park had become a popular franchise. However, the future star failed, and the role went to Laura Dern.
James Bond — Henry Cavill
Now it’s hard to imagine anyone but the brilliant Daniel Craig playing this role, but Henry Cavill had a chance to become the new Agent 007. The actor was turned down because he was “a little chubby.” Cavill accepted the criticism with dignity and began to do more physical training, which helped him in his future career.
Jane Smith — Gwen Stefani
Popular singer Gwen Stefani is a truly versatile person. She almost landed the lead role in Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Stefani went to quite a few auditions, but eventually, she made a choice in favor of a musical career. And Jane Smith was played by the amazing Angelina Jolie.
Indiana Jones — Tom Selleck
The actor almost played the cheerful adventurer. Tom Selleck got the role of Indiana Jones, but by that time, he had already signed on for the Magnum, P.I. TV series, and the producers didn’t allow him to combine the 2 projects.
Prince Caspian — Nicholas Hoult
According to the actor, auditions for the role of Prince Caspian were the worst in his career. Nicholas Hoult was asked to speak with a Hispanic accent, like Puss in Boots from Shrek. Holt was embarrassed by this request because he wasn’t prepared for it. Eventually, the role went to British actor Ben Barnes, who was the perfect fit.
Viola De Lesseps — Kate Winslet
After the resounding success of Titanic, Kate Winslet received many offers from different film directors. She was invited to take part in Shakespeare in Love, but the actress refused because she wanted to work on more independent projects. Eventually, Gwyneth Paltrow landed the role. And she made the right choice, as she was awarded an Oscar for her performance.
Alex Munday — Angelina Jolie
We know from Angelina Jolie’s filmography that she loves to take part in action flicks. But still, there was a similar project the actress rejected. Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz did their best to convince Jolie to play their partner but to no avail.
Jolie felt she wasn’t right for this role and later explained her refusal: “I’m not at that point in my career, so audiences won’t have as much fun watching me run around in high heels chasing bad guys and flipping my hair.”
Patrick Bateman — Johnny Depp
Initially, American Psycho was supposed to be directed by Stuart Gordon. The director saw only Johnny Depp in the main role and persuaded him to take it. But the author of the novel abruptly changed his mind. He pulled Stuart Gordon’s rights to the book and called Johnny Depp a lightweight actor who was too old to play the part. Depp was 28 at the time.
Christian Grey — Charlie Hunnam
In 2013, all the newspapers announced the news of the year: Charlie Hunnam would star in the screen adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. But a few months later, the actor changed his mind and refused the role. As it turned out, Hunnam had a nervous breakdown due to his busy work schedule.
The actor realized that he wouldn’t be able to do his job properly, but this decision was very difficult for him. Hunnam hasn’t seen any of the films in the trilogy because he called that situation “the worst professional experience” of his life.
Do you think the actors from our article would have been more convincing in these roles? Share your opinion in the comments below.
Preview photo credit Game of Trones / HBO, Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP / East News
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