Urfan Sharif, 42, her stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 29, are accused of killing 10-year-old family member Sara. They are all standing trial over her death. The child’s body was found at her home in Surrey on 10 August.

Trial of three people accused of murdering 10-year-old Sara Sharif at their home in Horsell continues at Old Bailey

Some neighbours in Woking told police they did not hear anything out of the ordinary, but one recalled a “single high pitched scream which lasted a couple of seconds and stopped suddenly” two days before Sara’s death. “It sounded to her like the scream of someone in pain”, said Mr Emlyn Jones.