Man who murdered woman and her three children in Bradford house fire given whole life order
Sharaz Ali will spend his life behind bars.
A man who killed his former partner's sister and her three children when he set fire to their house has been sentenced for their murders.
Sharaz Ali has been handed a whole life order.
Antonia Gawith had ended an abusive seven-year relationship with Ali and was staying with her sister Bryonie Gawith when Ali, "motivated by jealousy and fuelled by drink and drugs", set fire to Bryonie's home in the early hours of August 21 2024.
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.
Ali, 40, was found guilty in December of murdering Bryonie and the three children, and attempting to murder Antonia.
Calum Sunderland, 26, 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.
Reading a statement on behalf of her family outside court in December, Antonia said:
"Even with justice, nothing will ever make this right.
"Nothing will ever fill the silence where their laughter should be.
"Nothing will ever bring back our family."
Paying tribute to her sister, nieces and nephew, Antonia said:
"Their futures were stolen.
"The children will never grow up, never experience life in all the ways they deserve, and our B will never grow old with us. Never watch her babies become who they were meant to be."
The statement described "our beautiful B" (Bryonie) as "the glue that held us all together" and "the most devoted mother to her three children".
It said Denisty ("Chuch") was "blossoming into such a confident, creative soul" who was "always by her mum's side, helping, caring, loving with maturity far beyond her years".
Antonia said Oscar ("Oggy") survived open heart surgery at just five-days-old and was "strong, cheeky and full of life that was only just beginning".
She said Aubree ("Strawberry") was "so tiny, so joyful, so pure of innocence" and "made us smile without even trying".
The trial at Doncaster Crown Court heard that Ali wanted to "inflict maximum pain" and must have known the children were at home.
On the night of the fatal blaze, Ali and convicted arsonist Sunderland were driven to the house on Westbury Road, Bradford, by Mohammed Shabir, who was due to go on trial with them but died of a heart attack while on remand.
Doorbell footage captured Ali telling Sunderland, who was carrying the petrol and a lighter, to "kick the door in", which he did before running back to the car.
Antonia said an "angry" Ali ran into the house and began pouring petrol on her.
She tried to wrestle the canister and lighter from him, before running outside in an attempt to lure him out of the house.
As she realised he had not followed her, Antonia went back towards the house and saw Bryonie, who had woken up, kick Ali down the stairs.
Antonia said Ali then hit the lighter, igniting the petrol and setting himself and the house on fire.
The court heard how police pulled Ali from the blaze but, when firefighters arrived, it was too late to save Bryonie and the three children.
Footage played during the trial was edited to mute screaming, which may have been from one of the children.
The court heard that Ali refused treatment from paramedics at the scene and was put into an induced coma for months before his recovery began.