Fire deaths accused denies deliberately pouring fuel

Bryonie Gawith (left) and her children Denisty Birtle (top), Aubree Birtle (bottom) and Oscar Birtle (right) all died in the fire

A man accused of murdering his ex-partner's sister and her three children in a house fire says he accidentally spilled the petrol that started the blaze, a court has heard.

Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her children Denisty, nine, Oscar, five, and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle, all died in the fire on Westbury Road in Bradford on 21 August 2024.

Sharaz Ali is alleged to have deliberately set fire to the home of Ms Gawith in a botched revenge attack on his former partner Antonia.

Mr Ali, from Bradford, and co-accused Calum Sunderland, from Keighley, deny four counts of murder, the attempted murder of Antonia and attempting to cause her grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutors allege Mr Ali, 40, was "motivated by jealousy and fuelled by drink and drugs" when he went to the house where Antonia was staying after their "abusive" seven-year relationship ended.

Antonia told Doncaster Crown Court she came downstairs as her ex-partner, of no fixed abode, and another man broke into the house in the early hours of the morning.

She said Mr Ali poured petrol on her and around the house before starting to walk up the stairs and being kicked down by Bryonie.

Dozens of tributes were left outside the scene of the fire

Antonia said he then used a lighter to start the fire, the jury was told.

She tearfully described her efforts to get help for her sister, nieces and nephew who were trapped inside.

On Friday, Mohammed Nawaz KC, defending Mr Ali, said he denied deliberately pouring the petrol.

Cross-examining Antonia, Mr Nawaz said: "He says you and he were wrestling with it and the petrol was spilling out in that way."

Antonia replied: "No. He was pouring petrol when he walked in the door and he threw it onto me.

"That's when I was trying to stop him from pouring it everywhere."

Mr Nawaz said his client "doesn't accept he went up the stairs and had any contact with Bryonie".

She said she could tell from his messages earlier that night that Mr Ali had been drinking because he "wasn't making sense when he was speaking".

Antonia confirmed, when asked by Mr Nawaz, that Mr Ali had been saying he was "desperate to see her and have her back".

Mohammed Shabir, 45, had been due to go on trial with Mr Ali and 26-year-old Mr Sunderland, but died of a heart attack last month.

Prosecutors allege Mr Shabir drove to and from the house while Mr Sunderland, of Calton Street, kicked the door of the house open.

The trial continues.

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