Inmates Deny Attempted Murder of Sara Sharif's Father
Two prisoners pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from an attack on Urfan Sharif, who is serving a life sentence for his daughter's murder.
Two inmates at HMP Belmarsh have denied attempting to murder Urfan Sharif, who is serving a life sentence for the killing of his 10-year-old daughter, Sara Sharif. Steven Sansom, 47, and Adam Watson, 39, were charged last month following an incident on January 1, 2025.
Sharif and Sara's stepmother, Beinash Batool, were convicted of murdering Sara at their home in Woking, Surrey, and both received life sentences.
Appearing via video links from HMP Wakefield at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, Sansom and Watson entered not guilty pleas. Prosecutors allege that Sansom invited Sharif into a cell, where Watson was waiting. Watson then allegedly punched Sharif repeatedly, and Sansom applied pressure to his throat. The prosecution further claims that Watson passed Sansom an object, which was used to make cutting motions on Sharif's throat.
In addition to the attempted murder charge, both Sansom and Watson deny wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. They also face a charge of unauthorized possession of two weapons, identified as a tin lid and a pen attached to a handle.