Third man charged with murder after Bradford house fire in 2024

A third man has appeared in court charged with murder following a house fire which killed a mother and her three children.

Bryonie Gawith, 29, Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle died following the blaze at their home on Westbury Road, Bradford, on 21 August last year.

Sharaz Ali, 39, who was seriously injured in the same fire and subsequently spent time in a coma, has been charged with four counts of murder.

Mr Ali appeared via video link from a hospital bed before Bradford Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Mr Ali was also charged with the attempted murder of Bryonie Gawith’s sister, Antonia, who was also his ex-partner.

During the brief hearing Mr Ali, who is still being treated at Bradford Royal Infirmary, was told he would appear before the city’s Crown court later on Monday.

The prosecution told Bradford Magistrates’ Court that Antonia had recently ended her seven-year relationship with the defendant and had been staying with her sister on Westbury Road.

The court heard that Sharaz Ali was pulled out of the house by the first police officer on the scene but no-one could be rescued from upstairs as the fire was at the foot of the stairwell.

A court was told last week that Mr Ali had initially not been expected to survive the fire but that there had been a “marked” improvement in his condition following the turn of the year.

Mohammed Shabir, 44, and Calum Sunderland, 25, both of Keighley, had also previously been charged with murder and were due to go on trial at Bradford Crown Court this week.

The court had been in discussions as to whether Mr Ali would be medically fit to stand trial alongside Mr Shabir and Mr Sunderland.

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