Jury convicts man of murdering mother and children in arson attack

A jury at Doncaster Crown Court convicted Sharaz Ali, 40, of murdering Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her three young children in a deliberate house fire he set in Bradford on August 21, 2024, as an act of revenge against his former partner, who was staying at the home. Calum Sunderland, 26, was found guilty of manslaughter in the deaths of Bryonie and the children but cleared of murder charges.

The fire broke out in the early hours at the family home on Westbury Road. Prosecutors stated that Ali, fueled by jealousy, alcohol, and drugs, targeted the property after Antonia Gawith ended their seven-year abusive relationship weeks earlier. Antonia, Bryonie's sister, had been living there temporarily after leaving Ali, who blamed Bryonie for the breakup. Ali knew the children were present, according to court evidence, yet proceeded with the attack intending to cause maximum harm.

Court proceedings revealed that Ali and Sunderland were driven to the scene by a third man, Mohammed Shabir, 45, who died of a heart attack in custody before trial. En route, they stopped at a Shell garage, where CCTV footage showed Sunderland filling a seven-liter petrol canister and Ali purchasing vodka....