One of the most evil men in Britain had his “neck sliced with a jagged tuna tina lid” in a brutal ambush.
Sara Sharif’s dad, Urfan Sharif, 43, was reportedly targeted by two inmates inside HMP Belmarsh on New Year’s Day. He was pounced on in his cell just weeks after being given a life term for murdering his ten-year-old daughter.
His injuries were reportedly “non life-threatening” and a source told The Sun: “He was lucky to survive, has had to have stitches and will have scars as a permanent reminder of the attack.”
The grisly assault happened inside one of the country’s most notorious prisons where inmates and wardens expect the unexpected.
Inside Belmarsh
Belmarsh opened in South London in 1991 and can house up to 900 inmates. Back then, it was referred to as being “Britain’s Guantanamo Bay” after holding suspected terrorists.
Belmarsh opened over 30 years ago in Thamesmead, London
(
Image:
ITV)
Belmarsh is now famed for housing sinister criminals including Ian Huntley – who was first sent there after murdering schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.
Disgraced politician Jeffrey Archer once described it as a “hellhole” while past and present lags include Lee Rigby’s killer, Michael Adebowale, and serial rapist cop, David Carrick. Other criminals include serial killer Levi Bellfield, black cab rapist John Worboys and Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs.
In a rare interview, one staff member spoke to ITV News in December 2022 just three months after joining, saying: “I’ve responded to two violent incidents so far with prisoners lashing out, one member of staff was punched. You don’t know what you’re running into, and that unknown is really scary.
“It’s nerve-racking just in terms of like it’s actually happening now, like this isn’t the training anymore, this is real life, but it’s really rewarding too.”
Charles Bronson has also stayed in Belmarsh – as have monster cops David Carrick and Wayne Couzens
(
Image:
ITV)
Statistics from 2023 revealed the facility was plagued with “juggins” – an attack using boiling water.
A Freedom on Information request from the Metro also exposed over 200 incidents between November 2021 and October 2022 including blades made from toothbrushes. The report mentioned how bedsheets were used to choke inmates.
And speaking about his visit for his documentary, Ross Kemp recalled: “Even with the strictest regime I have seen, prison officers are just as wary of being attacked as inmates. And gang elements remain strong. There are 120 gangs represented among the inmates.”
Notorious moments
Curious Brits were given a glimpse inside the jail during a Channel 5 documentary called HMP Belmarsh: Maximum Security.
Babar Ahman, who was detained there for eight years, spoke about seeing an officer being assaulted with tuna cans.
He said: “Occasionally you will get a prison officer who just wants to be an idiot. This officer would do something like taking an extra milk carton, or you’re not really allowed to have that one, or taking an extra pillow, taking an extra blanket. So a group of prisoners, they decided to teach him a lesson. They grabbed the officer, they took him inside the cell.
A look inside Belmarsh prison
(
Image:
PA)
“They had tuna cans, which they had put inside socks and they just battered him. For about ten minutes they just battered him all over the place.”
Murderer Kevin Lane also spoke about attacks on officers, saying: “I went on escort one day, and some threats were made against me by a prison officer threatening to kill me.
“I said, ‘take these cuffs off and we’ll chat about it’. The cuffs came off during the search procedure, he wants me to stand there like a performing clown… I’ve taken my clothes off over ten times that day. It went off, I ended up knocking him spark out.”
Urfan Sharif
As we revealed above, the attack on Sharif was not the first time an incident with a tuna tin has occurred.
Sara was discovered dead at her family’s home in Woking, Surrey, in August 2023
(
Image:
Surrey Police/AFP via Getty Imag)
HMP Belmarsh Prison has housed some of the most evil men in Britain
(
Image:
PA)
Following the incident, the Prison Service said: “Police are investigating an assault on a prisoner at HMP Belmarsh on January 1.
“It would be inappropriate to comment while they investigate.”
The monster was given a minimum term of 40 years before he can apply for parole.
He was caged alongside little Sara’s stepmum Beinash Batool, 30, and the girl’s uncle Faisal Malik, 29.
Sara suffered 25 fractures and 71 external injuries including bite marks and iron burns, a post-mortem found.
Her dad was found guilty of murder while Batool was given a minimum term of 33 years after also being found guilty of murder. Malik, who lived with the vile couple, was handed 16 years behind bars for allowing the death of a child.