London, Aug 21
A man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murder after allegedly setting a house fire that killed a mother and her three children in northern England, police said.
An initial investigation showed the fire that was reported just after 2 am in the city of Bradford was deliberately set and is believed to be a domestic-related crime, police said. Bryonie Gawith, 29, was declared dead at the scene. Her three children, Denisty Birtle, 9, Oscar Birtle, 5, Aubree Birtle, 22-months-old, died at a hospital from their injuries.
The 39-year-old suspect, who was critically injured, was arrested at the house and hospitalised. “This is an absolutely devastating incident in which three children and a woman have lost their lives,” Det. Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson of West Yorkshire Police said. “Our thoughts remain with their family, friends and loved ones.” A neighbour, Lindsey Pearson, said her daughter heard shouting and screaming coming from the direction of the house earlier.
When Pearson saw flames in the sky, she thought the care home where she works up the hill might be on fire and left to go there with her son-in-law. But they were stopped by police who wouldn’t let them go through.
“They were saying there’s people inside, it’s a house fire,” Pearson said. “We just wanted to help. It’s absolutely terrible. Everybody was just so upset.”
