The father and stepmother of a 10-year-old girl whose body was discovered in her bed after the family had fled to Pakistan have today been jailed for her murder.

A jury found Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool guilty of murdering Sara Sharif following a ten-week trial where they heard Sara was subjected to a “campaign of abuse”. Today at the Central Criminal Court, both Sharif and Batool were sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve minimum terms of 40 years and 33 years in prison, respectively.

Nikki Miller, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “In her short life Isabella Wheildon faced repeated and prolonged acts of abuse.

"Scott Jeff’s violent attacks and the lack of protection provided by her mother Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell showed a total disregard for her welfare by the very people who should have been keeping her safe from harm.