Two men have been charged with the attempted murder of Urfan Sharif, the father convicted of killing his ten-year-old daughter Sara Sharif, after he was reportedly attacked with the sharpened lid of a tuna tin at HMP Belmarsh. Steven Sansom, 47, and Adam Watson, 39, both serving sentences for separate murders, are accused of ambushing Sharif in his cell on New Year's Day, leaving him with serious injuries to his neck and face; he survived but was reportedly left in a critical condition. The attack, which came weeks after Sharif's sentencing, has drawn attention to the risks faced by high-profile child killers in prison.

The pair have been charged with attempted murder and section 18 offences and are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 26 August 2026. A prison source said the assault was planned and that inmates were angered by Sharif's presence among them given the nature of his crime. Sharif was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years for the torture and killing of Sara, who suffered prolonged abuse including beatings, burning and strangulation; his wife Beinash Batool received 33 years and her uncle Faisal Malik 16 years for their roles.