Sara Sharif’s father said his daughter was making his ‘life hell’ before he allegedly beat her to death, a court heard today.

Urfan Sharif allegedly messaged his wife Beinash Batool, 30, threatening her and his 10-year-old daughter, saying: ‘I’m losing my calm. Both of you make hell of people who care and love you. I’m done with you and now it will be her turn if she does anything silly.’

But the 42-year-old claimed yesterday that he only intended to talk to Sara about her ‘silly’ behaviour when he sent the messages in February 2022, 18 months before she was killed.

The father broke down in tears today as he was asked whether he loved his daughter whom he is accused of murdering.

Sharif sobbed in the witness box: ‘Yes I did, she was my daughter. I wanted to speak to her.’

Urfan Sharif, pictured here being arrested at Gatwick Airport, broke down in tears in court today as he was asked if he loved his daughter Sara Sharif

Sharif messaged his wife Beinash Batool, pictured here being arrested at Gatwick Airport, to say he was ‘losing my calm’ with her and his daughter 18 months before Sara was found beaten to death

Sara was found to have more than a dozen broken bones including 10 spinal fractures at the time of her death

Sara’s body was found under a blanket in a bunk bed at her home in Woking, Surrey, in August last year

The defendant was asked about messages Batool sent to her sisters alleging that Sharif had beaten Sara up ‘like crazy’ over at least two years, including waking the schoolgirl in the middle of the night to attack her.

But Sharif said it was ‘not true’ that he had beaten her up.

Naeem Mian, KC, defending, asked: ‘Did you beat your daughter so badly that her body was covered in bruises?’

Sharif replied: ‘No sir.’

He insisted: ‘Everything happened at home while I was at work. I did not beat her, do anything to her.’

The schoolgirl was found dead at her home in Woking, on 10 August 2023 after Sharif and Batool fled to Pakistan where he made a tearful 999 call saying: ‘I killed my daughter.’

Sara had suffered at least 71 external injuries including dozens of broken bones.

Today Sharif told the Old Bailey that his wife Batool was the ‘crazy’ one in the house, suggesting she had a ‘black magic’ spell on her.

He told jurors that Batool was ‘very, very crazy’, claiming she had abused him and he was forced to jump out of a window to escape.

Jurors were shown two video clips from Sharif’s Google drive which he claimed was evidence of her abusive behaviour towards him.

Urfan Sharif (left), 42, who is charged with murder and causing or allowing the death of a child

The family home in Woking, Surrey, where the body of 10-year-old Sara Sharif was found

Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, is also accused of murder and causing or allowing the death of a child

Her uncle Faisal Malik, 29, also denies murder and causing or allowing the death of a child

Sharif became emotional as he told jurors: ‘I used to jump through the kitchen window as she would lock the front door.

‘Most of the time when she was angry I jumped through the living room window.’

Sharif said he made a video in February 2016 after Batool accused him of flirting with a hospital nurse and began ‘physically abusing’ him.

In the video, Sharif could be heard saying: ‘You are pushing me. You are abusing me. Get off me.

‘You are hitting me. I’m going to use this as evidence I’m telling you now.’

Batool repeatedly demanded he stop filming saying: ‘I ain’t scared of you.’

Sharif told jurors: ‘She kicked me. I ran to the other room, she is standing in front of the door so I cannot leave.’

In second video dated June 26 2019, Sharif was heard repeatedly asking Batool to ‘let me go’ before jumping out of a window.

Sharif told jurors: ‘You have a choice either to fight with that person or leave.

‘I tried to leave but she locked the front door. I jumped through the kitchen window.’

He added that his wife was ‘very, very crazy’, and her family had told him ‘someone has done black magic on her’.

Sharif, Batool, and Sara’s uncle, 29-year-old Faisal Malik denies murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues