Man guilty of murdering ex-girlfriend's sister and three children in house fire

A man has been found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend's sister and her three children in a house fire in Bradford.

Sharaz Ali killed Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her children Denisty, nine, Oscar, five, and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle, after setting fire to their home in a revenge attack when Bryonie's sister, Antonia, ended their relationship.

The 40-year-old was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Antonia Gawith in the blaze on 21 August 2024, after a trial at Doncaster Crown Court.

Co-accused Calum Sunderland, 26, was cleared of murder and attempted murder but found guilty of four counts of manslaughter for his role in breaking into the family's house where Antonia had been staying.

Speaking outside court, Antonia Gawith said: "Even with justice, nothing will ever make this right.

"Our beautiful B was the glue that held us all together. She was the best daughter, sister, aunty and most of all the most devoted mother to her three children.

"They were her world and she lived every day to love and protect them. The children will never grow up, never experience life in all the ways they deserve."

The trial heard Ali "motivated by jealousy and fuelled by drink and drugs" had wanted to "inflict maximum pain" with the fire and "did not care who was there" although prosecutors said he must have known the children were at home.

On the night of the fatal blaze, Ali recruited Sunderland, who sometimes sold drugs for him, to accompany him to Bryonie's home in Westbury Road, Bradford.

They filled up a canister with fuel from a petrol station in Keighley and Ali sent Antonia a series of aggressive messages accusing her of being with someone else.

Once they arrived, Ring doorbell footage showed the two men approach the house before Ali ordered Sunderland to kick down the door.

As Sunderland fled, Ali went inside and began pouring petrol around the property.

In her evidence, Antonia told jurors she had confronted him and tried to wrestle the canister and lighter from his hands, before running outside in an attempt to lure him out of the house.

The court heard he tried to get upstairs but was confronted by Bryonie and forced back down where he hit the lighter, igniting the petrol and setting himself and the house on fire.

Bryonie and her three children, who were asleep upstairs, were unable to escape.

Jurors were told the children would likely have lost consciousness quickly due to smoke inhalation.

Ali, who claimed he had intended to take his own life in the fire, was seriously injured and suffered burns to 80% of his body.

Medics initially believed he would not survive after he was placed in an induced coma for four months, the trial heard.

On Wednesday, Ali attended via a video link from prison, and appeared to wipe away tears before the jury came in to court.

A third defendant, Mohammed Shabir, who was said to have driven Ali and Sunderland to Westbury Road, died of a heart attack while in prison on remand.

During the trial, Sunderland repeatedly refused to answer questions while under cross examination.

A convicted arsonist and drug addicted, he claimed he had been enlisted to "burn a car" and would never have gone if he had known there were people in the house.

He said he and Ali were "part of the drug world" and that he had bought drugs from him as well as selling drugs on his behalf, but "didn't know" about his co-defendant's personal life.

Sunderland was acquitted of attempting to murder Antonia Gawith and a charge of attempting to cause her grievous bodily harm.

Speaking after the jury returned its verdicts, Det Ch Insp Stacey Atkinson from West Yorkshire Police condemned their "horrific and truly callous actions".

"They left a mum and her three children completely helpless whilst her sister and their Auntie watched on in horror," she said.

"Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family, who despite their immense strength of character now face the rest of their lives without them."

Ali and Sunderland will be sentenced at a later date.