Chilling second raging ex says ‘kick it in’ earlier than torching home as children scream

Harrowing doorbell footage captured the moment Sharaz Ali and Calum Sunderland arrive at a house in a revenge attack, before a fire killed Bryonie Gawith and her three young children

This is the chilling moment a drug-fuelled monster orders a door to be kicked in before setting fire to a house that killed a mum and her three children. Sharaz Ali, 40, was “motivated by jealousy and fuelled by drink and drugs” when he started the “catastrophic” blaze at the home of Bryonie Gawith and her three young children in the early hours of August 21 last year.

Harrowing Ring doorbell footage captures the moment Ali tells Calum Sunderland, 26 to “kick it in” before dousing the property in petrol. Doncaster Crown Court heard the 40-year-old went to “take revenge” on his former partner, Bryonie’s sister Antonia Gawith, who was staying there after ending their abusive seven-year relationship.

While Antonia managed to escape the fire, Bryonie, 29, and her three children, Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and Aubree Birtle, 22 months, were trapped upstairs and could not be saved.

Today (December 10), Ali was found guilty of murdering Bryonie and the three children, and attempting to murder Antonia. Calum Sunderland, 26, who went with Ali to the house and kicked the door in for him, was found guilty of guilty of the manslaughter of Bryonie and the three children, but cleared of the more serious charge of murder.

He was also found not guilty of attempted murder, and an alternative count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Antonia Gawith.

Footage released by West Yorkshire Police shows the pair arriving at the property where Ali tells Sunderland “kick it in, kick it in.” Glass can be heard smashing. Not long afterwards, the children started screaming. The sound was muted to spare the jury having to listen to their cries.

Earlier CCTV footage shows the pair at a petrol station where Sunderland can be seen filling up a 7L petrol can. The court heard that Ali wanted to “inflict maximum pain” with the fire and “did not care who was there” although prosecutors said he must have known the children were at home.

Antonia told police that Bryonie had given her the “confidence and support” to leave her violent and controlling relationship with Ali weeks before the fire, and that Ali had blamed her sister for the break-up.

On the night of the fatal blaze, Ali and convicted arsonist Sunderland, who sometimes sold drugs for Ali, were driven to the house on Westbury Road, Bradford, by Mohammed Shabir, who was due to go on trial with them but died of a heart attack while on remand.

Reliving the fateful night, Antonia said she went downstairs after hearing a noise and saw an “angry” Ali run into the house and begin pouring petrol on her while shouting.

She described trying to wrestle the canister and lighter from him, before running outside in an attempt to lure him out of the house.

When she realised he had not followed her, Antonia went back towards the house and saw Bryonie, who had woken up, kick Ali down the stairs. Antonia said Ali then hit the lighter, igniting the petrol and setting himself and the house on fire.

The court heard the first police officers on the scene managed to break the door down and pull Ali from the blaze, but when firefighters arrived it was too late to save Bryonie, who was found on the floor next to her bed, and the three children, who were all found in their beds.

Ali told the trial he wanted to kill himself in front of Antonia, and only intended to set himself alight. Sunderland said Ali had recruited him to torch a car, and that he did not know there was anyone in the house.

In a statement issued after Bryonie’s death, her family said the loss of “our B” and the children, referred to as “Chuch, Oggy and Strawberry”, had brought “unimaginable sadness and grief”.

In a statement issued after Bryonie’s death, her family said the loss of “our B” and the children, referred to as “Chuch, Oggy and Strawberry”, had brought “unimaginable sadness and grief”.

The tribute read: “Our B was the life and soul of the party, music was a big part of her life, she loved music, singing and dancing, she would always be singing and dancing with Chuch (Denisty), Oggy (Oscar) and Strawberry (Aubree).

“B was always a really happy, joyful, bubbly beautiful woman, who cared for everyone and was loved by everyone, her kids were everything to her, her whole life.

“Oggy had the cheekiest smile, he was cheeky but he was a shy boy, Strawbs was shy and bashful with big blue eyes and blonde hair and Chuch was a beautiful, confident, outgoing and creative young girl.”

After they returned their verdicts, Mr Justice Hilliard thanked jurors and said the case had been “distressing beyond measure – three children and their mother murdered”.

He said: “I don’t think anyone who heard Antonia’s desperate cries for help will ever forget them.”

He added: “These are truly dreadful crimes.”

But, he said, there was also the “extraordinary bravery” shown by people who tried to save the children trapped in the house, including their mother Antonia.

The judge, who remanded both defendants in custody, will sentence them at a later date, once reports have been prepared.

Ali will be jailed for life and the judge said he must consider whether that will mean a full-life term.