The Aporia · Prisoners deny trying to kill father of murdered 10-year-old schoolgirl Sara Sharif in jail cell with makeshift weapons

Prisoners deny trying to kill father of murdered 10-year-old schoolgirl Sara Sharif in jail cell with makeshift weapons

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Lawley, S. (2026, September 23). Prisoners deny trying to kill father of murdered 10-year-old schoolgirl Sara Sharif in jail cell with makeshift weapons. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16154073/Prisoners-father-murdered-schoolgirl-Sara-Sharif-jail.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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Quick Summary

Steven Sansom, 47, and Adam Watson, 39, have denied attempting to kill Urfan Sharif, the father of murdered schoolgirl Sara Sharif, at HMP Belmarsh on New Year's Day 2025. They are accused of attacking Sharif with makeshift weapons after luring him into a cell; prison officers found Sharif bloodied and distressed from alleged punches and throat injuries. Both men appeared at the Old Bailey via videolink from Wakefield jail, where they pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and related charges. A trial is set for July 19 next year with a pre-trial hearing on June 21.

Written by AI on 2026-09-23, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Steven Sansom and Adam Watson, inmates at HMP Belmarsh, have been accused of attempting to kill Urfan Sharif, the father of murdered 10-year-old schoolgirl Sara Sharif, on New Year's Day 2025. According to the allegations, Sansom invited Sharif into a cell where Watson waited, and then attacked him with punches and threatening cuts to his throat using makeshift weapons like a tin lid and a pen attached to a handle. Prison officers found Sharif bloodied and injured when they entered the cell. Both defendants appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday via videolinks from Wakefield jail, where they pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, wounding with intent, and unauthorized possession of offensive weapons in prison. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for June 21, continuing a case that has drawn significant attention since Sharif was jailed for life in December 2023 for Sara's torture and murder alongside his stepmother Beinash Batool, who received a minimum term of 33 years compared to Sharif’s 40-year sentence.

Written for “Murdered Schoolgirl Father Attack” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

20%

2 of 10 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

69/100

Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Crime & Law

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Sam Lawley

25 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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Also by Sam Lawley

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 25 articles by Sam Lawley →

Narrative

Claims (10 extracted, 2 hedged)

- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Prisoners have denied trying to kill the father of murdered 10-year-old schoolgirl Sara Sharif in a jail cell with makeshift weapons. asserted

Prisoners → see → weapons

Steven Sansom, 47, and Adam Watson, 39, are accused of attacking Urfan Sharif at HMP Belmarsh on New Year's Day 2025. asserted

Sansom → accuse → Day

It is alleged that Sansom invited Sharif, who murdered his daughter, into a cell where Watson was waiting. asserted

Watson → allege → cell

Watson then allegedly took hold of Sharif and punched him repeatedly before Sansom applied pressure to his throat. uncertain

Sansom → take → throat

It is claimed Watson then passed an object to Sansom which was used to make cutting motions to Sharif's throat. asserted

which → claim → throat

Prison officers entered the cell and found Sharif bloodied and distressed on the floor, with injuries to his face, mouth and neck, a court has previously heard. asserted

court → enter → face

On Wednesday, Watson and Sansom appeared at the Old Bailey for a plea hearing by separate videolinks from Wakefield jail. asserted

Watson → appear → jail

They pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and wounding Sharif with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm. They both also denied unauthorised possession of two offensive weapons in prison relating to a tin lid and a pen attached to a handle. asserted

They → plead → handle

Urfan Sharif, pictured, was allegedly attacked by two prisoners at HMP Belmarsh on New Year's Day 2025 Sara Sharif, 10, suffered 'unimaginable pain' during more than two years of abuse and was ultimately tortured to death, a judge ruled Steven Sansom, pictured left, and Adam Watson, right, have been charged with attempted murder Judge Lynn Tayton KC set a two-week trial for July 19 next year and remanded the serving prisoners in custody. uncertain

KC → picture → custody

A pre-trial hearing will take place on June 21. Sharif and Sara's stepmother, Beinash Batool, were jailed for life in December for years of horrific 'torture' and 'despicable' abuse that culminated in the 10-year-old's murder. Sharif was handed a minimum term of 40 years and Batool was given 33 years. asserted

Batool → take → years

Prisoners deny trying to kill father of murdered 10-year-old schoolgirl Sara Sharif in jail cell with makeshift weapons

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Claims (10 extracted, 2 hedged)