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Father of 10-year-old girl found dead in the UK called police from Pakistan to say he killed her

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Father of 10-year-old girl found dead in the UK called police from Pakistan to say he killed her
News

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Father of 10-year-old girl found dead in the UK called police from Pakistan to say he killed her

2024-10-15 01:07 Last Updated At:01:10

LONDON (AP) — The father of a 10-year-old girl found dead in her home in England fled to Pakistan and called U.K. police from there to say he had killed her, a jury heard Monday.

Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial at London's Central Criminal Court accused of Sara Sharif's murder alongside his partner, Beinash Batool, and brother, Faisal Malik.

Opening the trial, prosecutor William Emlyn Jones said all three defendants had played a part in a “campaign of abuse” against Sara in the weeks leading to her death.

Police found Sara's body under a blanket in a bunk bed at her home in Woking, southwest of London, on Aug. 10, 2023, with dozens of injuries including extensive bruising, burns and fractures. A post-mortem examination concluded she died of unnatural causes.

Emlyn Jones said the discovery was made after her father called the police from Pakistan, saying: “I’ve killed my daughter. I legally punished her, and she died.” He also told the phone operator it wasn't his intention to kill her but he had “beat her up too much," the prosecutor told jurors.

Urfan Sharif, Batool and Malik had left the U.K. for Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, on Aug. 9.

Police in Pakistan found the three suspects after an extensive search and put them on a flight to the U.K. They were arrested upon arrival at London’s Gatwick Airport and held in prison to await trial.

Emlyn Jones said all three had lived in the same house as Sara and that it was “inconceivable” that just one of them had acted alone.

He alleged that each of the suspects sought to point the finger at the others. He said Sharif's case was that Batool, Sara's stepmother, was responsible for the girl's death, and he made a false confession to protect her.

The jury heard a recording of a phone call made on the evening of Aug. 8, 2023, the day Sara was believed to have died, in which Batool could be heard asking about booking a flight to Islamabad for four adults and four children.

The trio deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial is expected to continue until December.

FILE - This court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook shows Sara Sharif's father Urfan Sharif, right, and her uncle Faisal Malik appearing via video-link, from Belmarsh prison, at the Old Bailey in London, Dec. 14, 2023 as three members of her family have pleaded not guilty to her murder. (Elizabeth Cook/PA via AP, file)

FILE - This court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook shows Sara Sharif's father Urfan Sharif, right, and her uncle Faisal Malik appearing via video-link, from Belmarsh prison, at the Old Bailey in London, Dec. 14, 2023 as three members of her family have pleaded not guilty to her murder. (Elizabeth Cook/PA via AP, file)

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Hurts accounts for 4 TDs as Eagles roll past bumbling, Prescott-less Cowboys 34-6

2024-11-11 08:29 Last Updated At:08:31

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes and ran for a pair of scores, and the Philadelphia Eagles rolled to a 34-6 victory over the bumbling Cowboys on Sunday in the first game since Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott tore a hamstring.

Hurts shook off two sacks from Micah Parsons in the star pass rusher's return from injury, connecting with Dallas Goedert for one of the TDs after his tight end missed three games with a hamstring issue.

The Eagles (7-2) took over first place in the NFC East with their fifth consecutive victory while defending division champion Dallas (3-6) fell to 0-4 at home in a fourth straight loss overall.

Cooper Rush didn't look anything like the replacement who went 4-1 filling in for Prescott two years ago, going 13 of 23 for just 45 yards. Rush won the first four games in that 2022 stretch before throwing three interceptions in a loss at the Eagles.

Picks weren't the problem this time. Just about everything else was.

Rush lost two fumbles among five turnovers for the Cowboys, and was replaced briefly by Trey Lance early in the second half and then for good in the fourth quarter as frequent boos cascaded from the crowd. Lance threw an interception.

Prescott won't be back anytime soon, if at all this season. The franchise QB plans to seek one more medical opinion before deciding whether to have season-ending surgery on the hamstring he tore in last week's 27-21 loss to Atlanta.

Hurts was far from his best, throwing an interception in the end zone before the fumble on one of Parsons' sacks gave Dallas the ball at the Philadelphia 6-yard line. Parsons missed the previous four games with an ankle injury.

The inept Dallas offense couldn't even get a touchdown from there, so Hurts had plenty of time to settle in. He was 14 of 20 for 202 yards with 56 yards rushing before getting replaced by Kenny Pickett with the Eagles leading 31-6 in the fourth quarter.

Hurts opened the scoring with a tush-push TD after Rush dropped a snap and lost the fumble at the Dallas 17. Hurt had an 8-yard run to go with the 14-yard score toss to Goedert and a 5-yarder to Johnny Wilson.

One of the Dallas fumbles was into the Philadelphia end zone by Ezekiel Elliott when Dallas had a chance to take a lead in the second quarter. Elliott was back in the lineup after missing the trip to Atlanta because he was late for meetings.

Eagles CB Darius Slay injured an ankle in the first half. ... Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown left with a knee injury in the second half. ... Cowboys rookie LT Tyler Guyton was inactive with a neck issue.

Eagles: Washington at home on Thursday night.

Cowboys: Houston at home next Monday night.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Dallas Cowboys fan Dewayne Dailey watches play against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Cowboys fan Dewayne Dailey watches play against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance throws a pass in the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance throws a pass in the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy watches play against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy watches play against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts prepares to throw a pass in the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts prepares to throw a pass in the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Philadelphia Eagles' Dallas Goedert (88), Kenneth Gainwell, center, and Jahan Dotson (83) celebrate a touchdown catch by Goedert in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Philadelphia Eagles' Dallas Goedert (88), Kenneth Gainwell, center, and Jahan Dotson (83) celebrate a touchdown catch by Goedert in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott watches play against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott watches play against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) prepares to throw a pass to CeeDee Lamb, left, in the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) prepares to throw a pass to CeeDee Lamb, left, in the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) carries the ball for a long gain as Dallas Cowboys' Jourdan Lewis (2) attempts to make the stop in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) carries the ball for a long gain as Dallas Cowboys' Jourdan Lewis (2) attempts to make the stop in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

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