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Third man charged with murder after Bradford house fire in 2024 | Third man charged with murder after Bradford house fire in 2024 |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Bryonie Gawith and her children Denisty, Oscar and Aubree died after a fire at their home | Bryonie Gawith and her children Denisty, Oscar and Aubree died after a fire at their home |
A third man has appeared in court charged with murder following a house fire which killed a mother and her three children. | A third man has appeared in court charged with murder following a house fire which killed a mother and her three children. |
Bryonie Gawith, 29, Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle died following the blaze at their home on Westbury Road, Bradford, on 21 August last year. | Bryonie Gawith, 29, Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle died following the blaze at their home on Westbury Road, Bradford, on 21 August last year. |
Sharaz Ali, 39, who was seriously injured in the same fire and subsequently spent time in a coma, has been charged with four counts of murder. | Sharaz Ali, 39, who was seriously injured in the same fire and subsequently spent time in a coma, has been charged with four counts of murder. |
Mr Ali appeared before Bradford magistrates via video link from a hospital bed on Monday morning and about an hour later he appeared before Bradford Crown Court. | |
Mr Ali was also charged with the attempted murder of Bryonie Gawith's sister, Antonia, who was his ex-partner. | |
Mr Ali, who is still being treated at Bradford Royal Infirmary, was asked not to indicate any plea to the charges when he appeared before the crown court. | |
Mr Ali was not initially expected to survive the blaze | Mr Ali was not initially expected to survive the blaze |
The court heard the chief medical officer at the hospital where Ali is being treated had said he "would not be physically fit to sit in a courtroom at this present time". | |
It was added, however, that there was a "realistic expectation that physically he would be fit to take part in a trial process in the coming six to nine months". | |
A prosecutor had earlier told Bradford Magistrates' Court that Antonia Gawith had recently ended her seven-year relationship with the defendant and had been staying with her sister on Westbury Road. | |
The court heard that Sharaz Ali was pulled out of the house by the first police officer on the scene but no-one could be rescued from upstairs as the fire was at the foot of the stairwell. | The court heard that Sharaz Ali was pulled out of the house by the first police officer on the scene but no-one could be rescued from upstairs as the fire was at the foot of the stairwell. |
'Marked improvement' | |
A court was told last week that Mr Ali had initially not been expected to survive the fire but that there had been a "marked improvement" in his condition following the turn of the year. | |
Mohammed Shabir, 44, and Calum Sunderland, 25, both of Keighley, had also previously been charged with murder and were due to go on trial at Bradford Crown Court this week. | Mohammed Shabir, 44, and Calum Sunderland, 25, both of Keighley, had also previously been charged with murder and were due to go on trial at Bradford Crown Court this week. |
The court had been in discussions as to whether Mr Ali would be medically fit to stand trial alongside Mr Shabir and Mr Sunderland. | The court had been in discussions as to whether Mr Ali would be medically fit to stand trial alongside Mr Shabir and Mr Sunderland. |
An application to delay the trials of Mr Shabir and Mr Sunderland so the three men can be tried together is being heard on Monday. | |
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. | Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. |