Two men have been charged with murder and attempted murder over a house fire, which killed a mother and her three children. Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her three children: Denisty Birtle, nine; Oscar Birtle, five; and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle; died after their home in Bradford, West Yorkshire was set alight in the early hours of 21 August. Mohammed Shabir, 44, of Alice Street, Keighley; and Calum Sunderland, 25, of Calton Street, Keighley; have been charged with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, West Yorkshire Police have said.
The pair will face the charges at Bradford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Amanda McInnes, of the Crown Prosecution Service for Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “Our thoughts remain with the friends and family of Bryonie and her children. “We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendants are active and that they have a right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.” Four other people remain under investigation by police including a 39-year-old man they arrested at the scene, who is the ex-partner of a woman who was visiting the family and is now in hospital in a critical condition. West Yorkshire Police officers executed a number of warrants in the Keighley area of the city on Friday.
In a statement issued via the force last week, the family of the victims said the .