Sara Sharif’s dad sobs in dock when denying beating his daughter to death

‘Her hobby was playing guitar and singing, her wish for what she wanted to be when she grew up was a ballet dancer.

‘Her favourite adult was her grandad, my father. Her favourite colour was pink.’

Sharif was asked if he beat her and replied: ‘I did slap her. I have lots of flaws in my life, but I never beat her. Never.’

Mr Mian said Sharif had wrongly been cast as the ‘villain of the piece’ because he only disciplined her with a ‘slap’.

Sharif claimed Batool had hit him on the head with a lemon squeezer when he first wanted to leave and on another occasion attacked him with a broom.

He spoke quietly and was told to speak up so that the jury could hear what he was saying.

The court previously heard Sara was found dead lying on her bed at home.

Her body was found covered in bruises, bite marks, puncture wounds and abrasions from significant blunt force trauma.

She had 11 spinal fractures and had broken ribs, collar bone, shoulder blades, and broken arms, hands and some fingers fractured.

A post-mortem examination found she was beaten with objects, strangled, and was ‘left severely unwell, close to death’ from a series of head injuries.

But it was heard how Sharif believed Sara’s injuries were sustained in fights with other children.

Mr Mian said Sharif tried to give Sara CPR and begged for an ambulance to be called on August 8, but he was told ‘leave it, she’s dead’.

It was also heard how Sharif fought for the custody of Sara after he accused his ex-wife Olga Sharif of abusing Sara.

Jurors were also read texts between Batool and her sister Qandeela Saboohi, in which Batool suggests Sharif took a bank card and cash from her which prevented her from shopping for herself.

She said Sharif had been breaking things in the house and she wanted to end the relationship.

She sent a screenshot of messages between her and Sharif to her sister in which Sharif said both Batool and Sara made his life hell.