A house became a tomb on August 21st, consumed by flames that stole four innocent lives: Bryonie Gawith, and her three young children, Denisty, Aubree, and Oscar Birtle. The tragedy unfolded not as an accident, but as a deliberate act fueled by a chilling rage.
Sharaz Ali, 40, remained inside the home as he ignited a devastating fire, initially claiming he intended only to end his own life. But the horrifying truth, revealed during the trial, painted a far darker picture – a calculated attempt to inflict unimaginable suffering.
First responders, brave police officers, rushed into the inferno, unaware they were rescuing the very man who had condemned a mother and her children to a fiery fate. Their heroism stood in stark contrast to the malice that had sparked the blaze.
The motive, prosecutors argued, was a venomous cocktail of anger and jealousy directed towards Ali’s former partner, Antonia. He sought to punish her, not only through physical harm – a terrifying assault with petrol – but by shattering her world with the loss of her family.
Days before the fire, Ali bombarded Antonia with hateful messages, accusing her and her sister of ruining his life. These texts, presented as evidence, laid bare his resentment, self-pity, and thinly veiled threats.
Bryonie Gawith, 29, perished at the scene, while her daughters, nine-year-old Denisty and 22-month-old Aubree, and her son, five-year-old Oscar, succumbed to their injuries in hospital. Antonia, the intended target, survived, left to grapple with a grief beyond comprehension.
Antonia had confided in police that Ali professed to love the children, a detail that only deepened the incomprehensibility of his actions. Yet, the texts revealed his threats extended even to them, demonstrating a callous disregard for innocent life.
Bryonie, herself a survivor of hardship and separated from her own partner, had been the one to encourage her sister to escape an abusive relationship with Ali. Her act of sisterly love ultimately led to this unimaginable tragedy.
The prosecution also implicated Calum Sunderland, 26, alleging he assisted Ali in the arson. Evidence showed Sunderland, captured on Ring doorbell footage, carrying a canister of petrol and a lighter to the house, forcibly entering after Ali’s instruction.
Sunderland claimed he believed he was only tasked with torching a car, unaware anyone was inside. However, prosecutors argued that carrying seven litres of petrol and a lighter to a home signaled a clear intent to cause a major fire, making him complicit in the murders.
While Sunderland may not have known the children were present, the prosecution asserted he knew enough and did enough to share in the guilt. The trial continues, as Ali and Sunderland maintain their innocence, leaving a community shattered and seeking answers to an unspeakable horror.
A third individual, Mohammed Shabir, 45, who was also facing charges, died of a heart attack in prison last month, further complicating the pursuit of justice for Bryonie and her children.
