Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool, convicted of murdering 10-year-old Sara Sharif, are serving life sentences in separate prisons, experiencing vastly different conditions behind bars. Sharif, 44, was attacked by two inmates who allegedly tried to decapitate him, while Batool, 33, has reportedly formed a close friendship with serial killer Lucy Letby.
Attack on Urfan Sharif in HMP Belmarsh
Sharif, currently serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for Sara's murder, was assaulted in HMP Belmarsh on New Year's Day last year. Steven Sansom, 47, and Adam Watson, 39, are accused of ambushing him in a cell, allegedly slashing his neck with a tin can lid in an attempt to kill him.
Westminster Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday how the pair lured Sharif under "the pretext of friendship" before the alleged attack. Prosecutor Jack Wadsworth told the court Sansom made admissions immediately after the incident, telling guards: "I pulled him in here and then I tried to kill him." Asked why, Sansom allegedly said: "Because he killed his daughter... I wanted to cut his head off."
Details of the Alleged Assault
The court heard Watson took hold of Sharif and punched him repeatedly while Sansom attacked from behind, mounting him on the floor and applying sustained pressure to his throat. Watson positioned himself at the cell door to prevent entry. Wadsworth detailed that Sharif suffered injuries to his neck, forearm, and left middle finger before being found bloodied and distressed on the floor.
Sansom, already serving a whole-life order for the 2024 murder of Sarah Mayhew, 38, faces charges including attempted murder and grievous bodily harm with intent. Watson, serving 21 years for murdering Samantha Holden, 56, also faces an attempted murder charge. Both appeared via videolink and were remanded in custody, with a plea hearing set for September 23 at the Old Bailey. Sharif has since been moved to HMP Frankland in Durham.
Batool's Friendship with Lucy Letby
Batool, serving life with a minimum of 33 years, remains in HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey. She has reportedly become friends with Lucy Letby, the former neonatal nurse serving 15 whole-life orders for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder eight others. The pair bonded over card games, first Uno and more recently chess, and are reportedly "inseparable," according to a former inmate who spoke to The Sun.
The source described the pair as forming an alliance because "nobody would speak to them," and detailed their monthly visits to the prison restaurant Vita Nova and hair salon. Batool has reportedly complained about her prison job, saying: "I've never worked in my life, I've always had a man support me." Both women are held on House Block Four, where cells have ensuite showers, and are described as "model prisoners" who have been teaching other inmates chess.
