Sara Sharif’s killer father has been violently ambushed behind bars, but the chilling attack has come as no surprise to experts.
Urfan Sharif, 43, was targeted by two inmates inside HMP Belmarsh on New Year’s Day, just weeks into his life sentence for the murder of his 10-year-old daughter. The child killer had his throat sliced with the jagged lid of a tuna can and was left with non-life-threatening injuries.
Last month, Sharif was jailed for a minimum of 40 years, alongside Sara’s stepmum, Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, for subjecting the schoolgirl to two years of torture. Sara, who had a ‘beautiful smile and loud laugh’, died with 25 fractures and 71 external injuries, including bite marks and iron burns.
After being convicted of murder, monster Sharif is serving his punishment behind bars – and his fellow inmates are making sure he suffers. His treatment in the short few weeks he has been jailed is just a reflection of his bleak future, according to retired prison governor Vanessa Frake, who spent nearly three decades working inside jail.
Sara Sharif’s dad has neck sliced with jagged tuna tin lid as he’s ambushed in prison
Sara Sharif, 10, was tortured and murdered by her father, stepmother and uncle, in 2023
(
Image:
PA)
“High-profile prisoners like Sharif will always be vulnerable to attacks,” she told The Mirror. “In prison, there is a hierarchical system between inmates and those that murder, rape or molest children are seen as the lowest of the low. The dreadful abuse and murder of Sara Sharif, reported by the media, has highlighted Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik to other prisoners. There will be no hiding from their crimes behind bars.”
The former warden, who observed the likes of child killer Beverley Allitt and serial killer Rose West during her 27-year prison career, is familiar with the sinister use of a tuna tin. She said: “Tins of tuna are sold in the canteen shop where convicted prisoners can shop monthly. Prisoners will use anything as a weapon – batteries, pool balls in a shock, boiling water with sugar, and razors welded into toothbrushes are also common.”
Vanessa noted that Sharif would have been warned by officers to not talk about his crimes upon his entrance into the prison. “It is more than likely he would have been offered Rule 43, which would mean he would be segregated away from the general population,” she explained. “But even if he was housed in a vulnerable prison unit, he could have been targeted by those who thought his crime was worse than theirs.”
Sharif is deemed the ‘lowest of the low’ and will be vulnerable to more attacks, a former prison warden says
(
Image:
PA)
Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool will also be a target in jail and will be unable hide from her crimes
(
Image:
PA)
She went on: “Of course, there may also be a price on his head issued by other prisoners higher up the hierarchy, who often use attacks as a way of clearing debt.” While prison officers work to keep inmates safe, they are not able to be there 24/7, Vanessa explained, so Sharif will “need to look over his shoulder for the duration of his 40 years in custody”.
Meanwhile, legal expert Adam Jones, from HD Claims, said Sharif’s attack underscores the harsh reality of prison life for convicted child killers and “paints a stark picture of what lies ahead”. “For him, and others in similar situations, every day is about survival – not just in a physical sense, but emotionally and mentally as well,” Mr Jones said.
He explained: “Individuals convicted of heinous crimes, especially those involving harm to children, are seen at the lowest of the low, and it’s deeply ingrained in prison culture. Other inmates, many of whom may themselves have endured traumatic childhoods or abusive upbringings, view child killers or abusers with particular disdain, and this can manifest in targeted hostility or violence.”
Sharif’s life behind bars will be a ‘constant tightrope of survival’ according to a legal expert
(
Image:
CHANNEL 5)
Mr Jones described Sharif’s life behind bars as a “constant tightrope walk of survival”. He said: “From day one, inmates convicted of crimes against children are segregated for their own safety, often placed in protective custody or vulnerable prisoner units – but even in these units, word spreads fast, and a prisoner’s reputation can follow them, making even these supposedly secure areas dangerous.”
He said the evil father’s day-to-day life will likely involve limited interaction and restricted access to communal spaces. Following the attack, his movements will be even more isolated. “Prison authorities will likely review this assault closely, implementing stricter measures to ensure Sharif’s safety, whether through increased surveillance, limited interaction with other inmates or even transferring him to a different facility,” he said.
While his injuries have been reported as non-life-threatening, the toll on Sharif’s mental health could be detrimental. Mr Jones said: “Beyond physical safety concerns, the psychological toll on such inmates is immense. Knowing they are targets creates a perpetual state of anxiety and hypervigilance. While they may outwardly try to maintain composure, the mental strain of being a marked man in prison often leads to isolation, paranoia, and, in some cases, self-harm or suicide attempts.”