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A man has been sentenced to spend the remainder of his life in prison after being found guilty of murdering his former partner’s sister and her three children by setting their home on fire in Bradford. The tragic incident claimed the lives of Bryonie Gawith, aged 29, and her children Denisty, nine, Oscar, five, and Aubree Birtle, 22 months old. The attack was carried out by Sharaz Ali as an act of revenge following the breakup of his relationship with Bryonie’s sister, Antonia.
The court heard that on 21 August 2024, Ali, driven by feelings of revenge and sexual jealousy, traveled to Westbury Road in Bradford accompanied by Calum Sunderland. Upon arrival, Sunderland forcibly kicked down the front door at Ali’s direction. Ali then doused Antonia with petrol intending to set her on fire. Fortunately, Antonia escaped, but the fire trapped Bryonie and her three children inside, resulting in their deaths. Ali sustained severe, life-altering injuries in the blaze.
During sentencing, Mr Justice Hilliard KC highlighted the considerable planning and premeditation behind this horrific attack. The judge described how Ali viewed the children as “acceptable collateral damage” in his intention to “wipe out a whole family.” Recognition was also given to the bravery of the Gawith sisters, with the judge noting Bryonie’s efforts to protect her children by preventing Ali from reaching upstairs. Antonia Gawith expressed the profound trauma caused by the incident, stating, “The memories of seeing their lifeless bodies from the fire is etched on my mind with a permanence I cannot escape,” and emphasizing the ongoing struggle to live in a world that feels unsafe.
Calum Sunderland, who accompanied Ali and broke in on Ali’s orders, was sentenced to a life term with a minimum of 18 years after being convicted of manslaughter. Sunderland had claimed during his trial that he believed he was only involved in a car arson, but the judge rejected this explanation, describing Sunderland’s account as “untruthful” and deeming him a “significant risk of serious harm to the public.” Sharaz Ali, now serving a rare whole-life prison sentence, was found guilty on four counts of murder as well as attempting to murder Antonia. The judge also praised the emergency response by the police and first responders as “quite exceptional” following the devastating fire at the family’s semi-detached home
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