Sara Sharif’s father wept in the dock today as he admitted beating his daughter to death but denied murdering her.

The schoolgirl was found dead in her bunk bed at her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 last year after her father Urfan Sharif, 42, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, fled to Pakistan.

The 10-year-old suffered dozens of injuries including human bite marks and iron burns, jurors at the Old Bailey heard.

Sharif, who is on trial for Sara’s murder, has denied causing the injuries throughout his trial, but on his seventh day on the witness stand today he told jurors he took responsibility for “the ‘full responsibility’ for his death.

The trial was halted after Sharif’s lawyer, Naeem Mian, KC, requested time to speak to his client about a possible change of plea.

After a brief break, Sharif agreed to beat his daughter to death, but denied the murder, saying he “did not intend to kill her” and “did not mean to kill her.”

Sara Sharif was found dead at her family home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10.

Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial for the murder of his 10-year-old daughter Sara.

Earlier in the day, Sharif told jurors he “takes full responsibility” for Sara’s death.

He made the admission under cross-examination while his wife sobbed in the dock.

He admitted hitting the 10-year-old schoolgirl with a cricket bat and a metal pole.

He also admitted that he had beaten her in the days before her death, causing broken bones all over her body.

Earlier, Sharif had sought to accuse Batool of killing his daughter, but in a dramatic confession he told jurors: “I accept everything.”

Caroline Carberry, KC, defending her wife, asked, “Did you beat her?” Did you inflict any injuries on him?

Speaking softly in the dock, he nodded and said: “Yes. »

He added: “I take full responsibility.”

He denied biting or burning his daughter when asked to view a file detailing the injuries on her body.

‘I can’t do this. I can’t watch it. I take full responsibility for it,” he said.

Sara Sharif had at least 71 external injuries on her body when she was found dead, court previously heard

Beinash Batool (left) and Faisal Malik deny murder and causing or permitting death of child

Ms Carberry said: “Did you use the cricket bat to inflict these injuries.”

He said, “Yes, ma’am. »

She continued: “Did you use a white metal pole to cause these marks.”

He replied: “Yes, ma’am. »

He said he took “full responsibility” for the broken bones in his neck, but he did not know whether he used a belt to cause the injury.

Sara was found dead in a bunk bed at the family home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 last year, the day after the defendants fled to Pakistan.

Sharif had phoned police when he arrived in Islamabad and admitted he had “beat Sara too much”, after leaving a written confession next to her body.

It was alleged that Sara suffered violent abuse for years, involving the use of a homemade hood and being tied up with packing tape.

An autopsy found she suffered dozens of injuries, including 25 broken bones, human bite marks and burns to her buttocks and feet.

Police released this photo of Sara Sherif last September

Sharif told the court: “I did what I did. I want to admit it, that it’s all my fault.

“That I admit what I said in my phone call (999) and my written note.”

He asked to sit down and cried as Ms. Carberry asked, “She died because you beat her.” So is it true?

He said, “Yes, ma’am. I take full responsibility for it.

But he shook his head when asked if he intended to cause her serious harm or kill her.

Ms Carberry asked: “Did you accept that you killed Sara by beating her. »

Sharif whispered: “Yes. »

Ms Carberry asked: “Do you accept that you beat Sara severely over several weeks.

Sharif replied “Yes”.

He admitted he hit her in the face with a cricket bat, hitting her repeatedly on “multiple occasions”.

While crying, the father admitted to having caused at least 25 fractures during attacks “with a weapon”.

When asked what Sara had done to deserve such beatings, Sharif murmured: “Nothing.”

He admitted he was angry after she started defecating out of fear and vomiting.

Ms Carberry asked: “Did you hit her intentionally to cause her very serious harm.”

Sharif looked down, sobbing, “Yes ma’am.”

Ms Carberry added: “You have pleaded not guilty to the offense of murder. Would you like the charge returned to you?

Sharif replied: “Yeah. »

The trial was halted after Sharif’s lawyer, Naeem Mian, KC, requested time to speak to his client about a possible change of plea.

Batool left the dock in tears, while members of the jury wept as they left the court.

But after a pause, Sharif appeared to change his mind and insisted he was not guilty of murder.

After the break, Ms Carberry asked: “When you confirmed earlier today that you had beaten her to death and that you intended to cause her very serious harm, which constituted an admission of the offense of murder.”

Sharif said: “I didn’t want to hurt him. I didn’t want to hurt him.

Mrs. Carberry replied: “But you hurt him.” What was your intention when you brought a cricket bat to a 10-year-old girl? »

The accused said: “I did wrong. I didn’t think anything.

Ms Carberry asked: “Do you accept that you killed her?”

He added: “She died because of me but I didn’t want to kill her. That was not my intention.

Sharif, Batool and Malik all deny murder and causing or permitting the death of a child.

The trial continues.