A man who murdered his former partner's sister and three young children by deliberately setting their house ablaze has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. Sharaz Ali, 40, received a whole life order at Doncaster Crown Court for the horrific attack in Bradford, which was intended to kill his ex-girlfriend Antonia Gawith in a jealous rage.
Family Trapped in Blaze
In the early hours of August 21, 2024, Ali traveled to the home of Bryonie Gawith, 29, where Antonia was staying after ending their abusive seven-year relationship. Accompanied by Calum Sunderland, 26, Ali stopped to purchase petrol before arriving at the Westbury Road property. Sunderland kicked the door in, allowing Ali to enter with the flammable liquid.
While Antonia managed to escape the ensuing inferno after wrestling with Ali, her sister Bryonie and three children – Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and Aubree Birtle, just 22 months old – became trapped upstairs. Despite Bryonie's desperate attempts to protect her children, all four perished in the flames.
Targeted Attack
During an emotional victim impact statement, Antonia revealed she remains "haunted" by knowing the attack was meant for her. "What haunts me the most is the attack was meant for me. I was the target, petrol was poured on me and my life was meant to end that night," she told the court.
She described her nieces and nephew as "my babies, my joy" and expressed the torment of surviving when they did not. "I can't escape the thought that I was spared when they were taken. How can I move on when they never had the chance to," Antonia said through tears as family members sobbed in the public gallery.
Courtroom Sentencing
Mr Justice Hilliard, presiding over the case, described Ali's plan as intended to "wipe out a family" and noted the children were considered "acceptable collateral damage" in his hatred toward Bryonie, whom he blamed for his relationship ending with Antonia. The judge praised Bryonie's "immense courage" in staying with her children despite knowing the danger.
"Although she must have known what Mr Ali was going to do, there was no way she was going to run out of the house and desert her children," Justice Hilliard stated. "She remained at the top of the stairs to protect them. She begged Mr Ali to stop but he completely ignored her."
Co-Defendant Sentenced
Calum Sunderland, who assisted Ali by kicking in the door while carrying petrol and a lighter, received a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years for manslaughter. The judge determined Sunderland knew the house was occupied and participated in an "extraordinarily dangerous" scheme. "He played with fire and four people died as a result," Justice Hilliard declared.
Prosecutor David Brooke KC highlighted the "substantial pre-meditation" involved, noting Ali traveled a considerable distance and specifically purchased petrol. The murders were described as "particularly cruel," with evidence showing at least one child awoke during the attack. A 999 call played during the trial contained a child's scream that had to be muted for the jury.
Investigation Details
Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson, who led the investigation, confirmed Ali knew the children were inside with no means of escape. Ironically, Ali himself suffered severe injuries in the fire he started, with police officers rescuing him from the blaze. He sustained burns to 70% of his body, required amputations of two fingers on each hand, and continues to use oxygen with speaking difficulties.
Despite these self-inflicted injuries, which his defense claimed would make prison "extremely harshly felt," the court imposed the maximum sentence. Ali's legal team stated he had expressed remorse for the loss of life, though this did not mitigate the severity of his crimes.
Relationship Background
The court heard that Bryonie had given Antonia the "confidence and support" to leave her violent relationship with Ali just weeks before the fatal attack. Ali had blamed Bryonie for the breakup, fueling his determination that if he could not be with Antonia, no one else could either.
On the night of the fire, Ali sent Antonia aggressive messages accusing her of being with someone else before arriving at the house. Doorbell footage captured him instructing Sunderland to "kick the door in," after which the arson began. Antonia described seeing an "angry" Ali pour petrol on her before she managed to escape outside.
In a heartbreaking video interview played to jurors, Antonia sobbed as she recounted how she "couldn't save" her family members, describing frantic attempts to enter through a jammed back door while screaming for help. The case stands as a tragic example of domestic violence escalating to unimaginable consequences, leaving survivors to grapple with guilt and loss for years to come.
