Two men convicted over 'horrific and truly callous' murder of mum and three children in Bradford house fire

Bryonie Gawith, aged 29, and her three children Denisty, aged 9, Oscar, aged 5, and Aubree Birtle, aged 22 months, were killed when their house on Westbury Road was deliberately set on fire in August 2024.

Today (Wednesday) at Doncaster Crown Court, Sharaz Ali aged 40 of Langbar Avenue was convicted of four counts of murder and one count of attempt murder while Calum Sunderland, aged 26, of Calton Street was convicted of four counts of manslaughter.

Tributes have also been shared to the four victims by the family, who said: “Our hearts will never be whole again.”

The court heard how the two men filled up a cannister with fuel from a petrol station in Keighley earlier that night, then drove to Westbury Road in the early hours of August 21, 2024.

Sunderland then kicked the door in of the family home, whilst Ali poured petrol over the house and set it on fire.

The house engulfed with flames, leaving Bryonie and her three children inside. Bryonie’s sister and the children’s auntie was also present and “watched in horror”.

Despite the heroic efforts of emergency services, Bryonie, Denisty, Oscar, and Aubree all died from injuries sustained in the fire.

Ali was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder but was seriously injured. He was taken to hospital where he remained for several months.

Extensive CCTV enquiries led officers to track down Sunderland in the basement of a property in Keighley. He was subsequently arrested and charged.

Ali and Sunderland will be sentenced at a later date.

A statement from the family of Bryonie, Denisty, Oscar and Aubree was shared, in which they paid tributes to the deceased and thanked the police and other authorities that helped bring the two men to justice. It reads: “But even with justice, nothing will ever make this right. Nothing will ever fill the silence where their laughter should be. Nothing will ever bring back our family. We will forever carry this brokenness and yet we will hold onto them tightly in the only ways we can now, through our memories, our photos and our precious videos.

“This trial has drained us in ways words can hardly describe. It has been a long, agonising, heart-shattering journey. Now that justice has finally been served, we can at last allow ourselves the space to truly grieve for our beautiful family who should still be here with us.”

The family said that Bryonie was “the glue that held us all together”, adding: “She was the one that everyone turned to, the one who made every room brighter just by walking into it. She was the best daughter, sister, auntie 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 statement read that Denisty “was blossoming into such a confident, creative soul”, adding that she enjoyed taekwondo with her cousins and best friend and “adored” her younger siblings. It reads: “She was always by her mum’s side, helping, caring, loving with a maturity far beyond her years.”

“Brave little soldier” Oscar survived open-heart surgery at just five days old and grew up to be “strong, cheeky and full of a life that was only just beginning”. The tribute reads: “He had so much ahead of him, so many firsts he never got the chance to reach.”

The family said that “precious” Aubree Birtle was “so tiny, so joyful, so full of pure innocence”, adding: “Her hugs could melt sadness in an instant. Her favourite song ‘happy, happy, happy’ captured her perfectly.”

The family’s statement reads: “These are only a handful of the memories we hold close. We could speak of them for hours, for days, and still never capture all the love they brought into our lives.

“Their futures were stolen. The children will never grow up; never experience life in all the ways they deserved. And our beloved Bryonie will never grow old with us, never watch her babies become who they were meant to be.

“We will love them for the rest of our lives. We will miss them in every breath. Our hearts will never be whole again. They will be forever young, forever ours, forever missed beyond words.”

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team said: “Bryonie and her three children would still be alive today if it wasn’t for the horrific and truly callous actions of Ali and Sunderland that day.

“They left a mum and her three children completely helpless whilst her sister and their Auntie watched on in horror.

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

“I would like to highlight the work of the emergency services that day. They were faced with a heartbreaking situation, and they did everything they could to save them.

“Whilst we know today’s conviction will do nothing to bring them back, I hope the family can find some justice from it.”