October 25, 2024, 4:21 p.m.

A neighbor considered calling police after hearing a young girl “screaming in pain” just days before Sara Sharif died, a court heard.

Sharif was found dead at her home in Woking, Surrey, in August last year and suffered more than 70 injuries in the weeks and months before her death, jurors were told.

Her father, Urfan Sharif, 42, her stepmother Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfan’s brother, Faisal Malik, 28, are all on trial for her murder.

Young Sara suffered more than 70 injuries, including “probable human bites” to her left arm and leg.

Learn more: Sara Sharif’s serious injuries compared to those of a ‘car crash victim’ – as tragic details of youngster’s abuse emerge

Neighbor Fiona Mellon spoke to police conducting door-to-door inquiries on August 11 and described hearing a child’s cry about five days earlier, on August 6, 48 hours before Sara’s death. .

Mellon was sitting in her kitchen on her computer around 4:30 p.m. when she heard the scream.

In a statement, she said: “I just heard a scream for a few seconds which stopped suddenly, like a young female voice.

“It didn’t sound right. It’s a quiet neighborhood and it’s unusual. It sounded like someone was in pain and it was so unusual that I wondered if I should tell anyone, like the police.

“I walked towards the rear patio doors. I didn’t see anyone and everything was quiet.

“I couldn’t tell where the scream was coming from. I didn’t hear any other screams or noises, so I didn’t go any further.”

She added: “Apart from Sara’s family, there were no other young children living in the immediate vicinity.

“In the five days before the police intervention, I did not see the family at all, which is unusual.”

Mrs. Mellon did not know Sara well, but described her as a “spirited young girl.”

On the surface, the Sharifs appeared to be a “happy family,” but the neighbor noted the mother “needed support,” jurors heard.

Jurors also heard from teaching assistant Hayley Holden, who had helped Sara with her spelling.

She described seeing bruises on his face, which led to a referral to the school.

In a statement read to the court, Ms Holden said: “She was a bit feisty. If she had an opinion she expressed it and she wasn’t afraid to respond. She never spoke about her home life. “

Sometime after Easter 2023, Ms Holden saw what looked like bruising on Sara’s face, which looked like “someone had tried to cover it up”.

The Old Bailey trial was adjourned at 2pm on Monday.