Boys who died in fire called for help, court hears

The Old Bailey heard a neighbour tried to rescue the boys, but the fire was too intense for them to enter the home

Four young boys who died in a fire after being left home alone repeatedly called "there's a fire here" amid desperate attempts to rescue them, the Old Bailey has heard.

Deveca Rose, 29, denies the manslaughter of her two sets of twins, Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged three, and Kyson and Bryson Hoath, aged four, and child cruelty.

The four children died after a discarded cigarette or upturned tea light sparked a blaze at their terraced home in Sutton, south London.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) station officer Darren Woodhams has told the court a neighbour tried to rescue the children but the fire was too intense for them to enter the home.

Mr Woodhams told jurors there was a smoke detector on the first-floor landing of the home, but it was "inoperable" as it had no batteries inside.

The court heard that on 16 December 2021, the family's neighbour was alerted to the fire next door by a passerby, who banged on her door, and she made the first of four calls to the fire brigade, saying there were children inside the property.

Mr Woodhams said the neighbour had seen there were "smoke and flames" coming from next door and also alerted her husband.

The fire investigator said the husband "observed the front-floor windows were black".

"He could hear the children's voices saying there was a fire here, over and over."

The court heard the boys' mother Deveca Rose, pictured arriving at the Old Bailey in January, left the boys to go to Sainsbury's

"A neighbour forced the front door of the property open to try to get into the property to access the children.

"However, due to the fire's intensity in the front room of the property they were unable to enter," he added.

The court was told eight fire engine units were deployed to the blaze in Collingwood Road, with the first arriving at 18:54 GMT.

Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and carrying a thermal imaging camera entered the home to rescue the children.

The fire was extinguished and they began searching the ground floor before moving upstairs, but Mr Woodhams said they "experienced some difficulties due to a mattress and possibly a door on the stairs".

'Friend called Jade'

The two firefighters found one child under a bed, before locating the other three boys under another bed, the court heard.

Mr Woodhams told jurors that by then, they were all unconscious and not breathing and they were brought outside.

He said firefighters assisted with chest compressions and the use of a defibrillator before the children were taken to two hospitals.

Jurors have heard that the children’s mother, who was taken in by a neighbour, claimed she left the boys with a friend called Jade.

Mr Woodhams said firefighters were therefore instructed to go back into the house after being made aware there might be someone else inside.

However, extensive police inquiries led investigators to the conclusion Jade either did not exist or was not present that evening, the court heard.

During the hearing, jurors were shown pictures of the fire damage found by investigators in the days that followed the tragedy, including a mattress, the remains of a wooden bed frame and detritus said to be about 20cm (7.75in) deep.

The trial continues.