A man who killed his ex-partner's sister and her three children by setting fire to their home in Bradford has been sentenced to a whole-life order, meaning he will never be released from prison.
Sharaz Ali, 40, was convicted of murdering Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her three children – Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and Aubree Birtle, 22 months – in the arson attack on 21 August 2024. The judge, Mr Justice Hilliard, said Ali was motivated by jealousy and fuelled by drink and drugs, and intended to 'wipe out a family'.
Ali's ex-partner, Antonia Gawith, who was the intended target of the attack, told the sentencing hearing at Doncaster Crown Court: 'Knowing they died because someone wanted to kill me is a torment I can never put into words.' She described her sister Bryonie as having 'warmth that could fill a room'.
The judge praised Bryonie's courage, saying she stayed at the top of the stairs to protect her children despite knowing Ali was pouring petrol around the house. 'She acted with immense courage,' he said.
Calum Sunderland, 27, who kicked in the door for Ali, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years for manslaughter. The judge said Sunderland knew the house was occupied and agreed to an 'extraordinarily dangerous' scheme.
Ali, a drug dealer, suffered severe burns in the fire and was initially not expected to survive. He was tried after recovering from a coma.
