Four more arrested over fatal house fire

Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar, five, and 22-month-old Aubree died in the fireImage source, UCG
Image caption,

Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her three children - Denisty, nine, Oscar, five, and 22-month-old Aubree

  • Published

Four more people have been arrested in connection with the deaths of a mother and her three children in a house fire in Bradford, police have said.

Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her three children - Denisty, nine, Oscar, five, and 22-month-old Aubree - died after their home on Westbury Road was deliberately set alight on 21 August.

A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in the Keighley area early on Monday. A 54-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man were arrested at the same address on suspicion of assisting an offender.

A 44-year-old man was then arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after he handed himself in at a police station.

Image source, Charles Heslett/BBC
Image caption,

The fire on Westbury Road was started in the early hours of Wednesday

A 39-year-old man who was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of murder remains in hospital with critical injuries, West Yorkshire Police said.

Two more men were arrested on Friday on suspicion of murder, and one of them, a 36-year-old, remains in custody.

The second, who is 45 years old, has been released with no further action and eliminated from the investigation, police said.

New crime scenes had been set up at two addresses in Keighley, on Kensington Street and Alice Street, as investigations continued on Monday, police said.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact them.

Image source, UCG
Image caption,

The children (l-r) Oscar, Aubree and Denisty, died from their injuries

Ms Gawith's family paid tribute to her, saying she was known as "B" and was the "life and soul of the party".

They said she loved music and dancing with the children, who were nicknamed Chuch, Oggy and Strawberry.

The children's father and Ms Gawith's fiancee, Jonathan, said he was "absolutely distraught" at their deaths.

“Bryonie and I were together for a long time, and we had a good life together," he said.

“She was a beautiful woman and a loving mother to Oscar, Aubree and Denisty.

“I loved them with all my heart and if I had the chance, I would take their place in a heartbeat. I cannot imagine life without them."

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