Sharaz Ali: Man who killed ex-partner's sister and three children is found guilty of murder by jury
A man who killed his former partner’s sister and her three children by setting fire to their house in a botched revenge attack has been found guilty of murder.
Sharaz Ali was “motivated by jealousy and fuelled by drink and drugs” when he started the “catastrophic” blaze at the home of Bryonie Gawith and her three young children in the early hours of August 21 last year.
A court heard Ali, 40 of Langbar Avenue, went to “take revenge” on his former partner, Bryonie’s sister Antonia Gawith, who was staying there after ending their abusive seven-year relationship.
While Antonia managed to escape the fire, Bryonie, 29, and her three children, Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and Aubree Birtle, 22 months, were trapped upstairs and could not be saved.
On Wednesday, Ali was found guilty of murdering Bryonie and the three children, and attempting to murder Antonia.
Calum Sunderland, 26 of Calton Street, who went with Ali to the house and kicked the door in for him, was found guilty of the manslaughter of Bryonie and the three children, but cleared of the more serious charge of murder. He was also found not guilty of attempted murder, and an alternative count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Antonia Gawith.
Ali attended via a video link from prison, and appeared to wipe away tears before the jury came in to court.
Doncaster Crown Court heard that Ali wanted to “inflict maximum pain” with the fire and “did not care who was there” although prosecutors said he must have known the children were at home.
The court heard Ali refused treatment from paramedics at the scene and was put into an induced coma for months before his recovery began.
Jurors were told that after the incident two fingers on each of his hands had been amputated, that he still uses oxygen and still has difficulty speaking.
He told the trial he wanted to kill himself in front of Antonia, and only intended to set himself alight. Sunderland said Ali had recruited him to torch a car, and that he did not know there was anyone in the house.
In a statement issued after Bryonie’s death, her family said the loss of “our B” and the children, referred to as “Chuch, Oggy and Strawberry”, had brought “unimaginable sadness and grief”.
The tribute read: “Our B was the life and soul of the party, music was a big part of her life, she loved music, singing and dancing, she would always be singing and dancing with Chuch (Denisty), Oggy (Oscar) and Strawberry (Aubree).
“B was always a really happy, joyful, bubbly beautiful woman, who cared for everyone and was loved by everyone, her kids were everything to her, her whole life.
“Oggy had the cheekiest smile, he was cheeky but he was a shy boy, Strawbs was shy and bashful with big blue eyes and blonde hair and Chuch was a beautiful, confident, outgoing and creative young girl.”