Sara Sharif‘s killer stepmother has reportedly developed a close friendship with fellow child killer Lucy Letby while in prison.
Sources have revealed that Beinash Batool, 30, spends significant time with Letby, 34, chatting and playing cards on the secure wing of HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, where both are held for their own protection. Batool was convicted of killing her 10-year-old step daughter just days ago.
Letby is serving life sentences for murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven more while working as a nurse.
An insider shared with the Mirror: “Beinash and Lucy live on the same wing with other high-profile inmates. They often spend time together on the landing, playing cards and talking.
“Child killers tend to stick together for their own safety, so it’s no surprise they’ve formed a bond.”
Batool was convicted alongside her husband, Urfan Sharif, for Sara’s brutal murder, described as one of the most shocking child abuse cases in recent years.
Despite her horrific crimes, Batool reportedly enjoys a relatively comfortable life at the Category A prison. She has also struck up friendships with other notorious inmates, including Michelle Smith, who poisoned her six-month-old daughter Amy with adult painkillers in 2007, and Sharon Carr, Britain’s youngest female murderer. Carr stabbed 18-year-old Katie Rackliff 30 times in a random attack when she was just 12 years old.
The insider added: “Beinash is also friendly with Michelle and Sharon. They all live in house block four, which is one of the better wings.
“They have private rooms with en suite showers, larger beds, and access to a courtyard. The setup is designed to protect them from attacks, almost like they’re being shielded from the outside world.”
Batool and her husband, Urfan Sharif, a 42-year-old taxi driver, will be sentenced on Tuesday following a 10-week trial at the Old Bailey. The court heard how Sara suffered “unspeakable violence,” including burns inflicted with a hot iron. She was found with 100 injuries, including broken bones, a brain injury, and human bite marks.
Sara’s body was discovered at her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10, 2023, after her father alerted police and fled to Pakistan with Batool and his brother Faisal Malik. Malik, 29, was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child.
Letby, who is originally from Hereford, is serving 15 life sentences for her crimes committed between 2015 and 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
The Ministry of Justice and Sodexo, the private firm operating HMP Bronzefield, declined to comment on the reports.
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