Crime10 December, 20252 min read
Jury Convicts Sharaz Ali of Murdering His Ex-Partner's Sister and Three Children in Revenge Arson
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Sharaz Ali set fire to a Bradford house, killing Bryonie Gawith and her three children. Attack motivated by jealousy and revenge after his ex-partner ended their relationship.
5 outlets told this the same way.
Conviction for fatal arson
A jury convicted 40-year-old Sharaz Ali of murdering his ex-partner's sister, Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her three children. The killings followed a deliberate fire set at their home in Bradford on 21 August last year.
“A 40-year-old man, Sharaz Ali, has been found guilty of murdering his ex-partner’s sister Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her three children — Denisty, 9, Oscar, 5, and 22-month-old Aubree — in a petrol-fuelled house fire in Bradford on August 21 last year.”
Courts heard the blaze was petrol-fuelled and that Ali was also convicted of attempting to murder his former partner, Antonia Gawith. The case was described in court as "distressing beyond measure," reflecting the gravity of the killings and the criminal findings against Ali.
Arson attack and victims
Prosecutors described how Ali poured petrol through the house after travelling there with a co-accused. The blaze rapidly engulfed the property, killing the three children found in their beds and Bryonie.
The victims are named in reporting as Denisty (9), Oscar (5) and 22-month-old Aubree. Reporting notes the attack occurred in the early hours and was fuelled by petrol, with witnesses and evidence, including doorbell footage capturing an accomplice, forming part of the prosecution case.
Escape and trial details
Antonia Gawith, Ali's former partner who had left an abusive seven-year relationship and moved in with her sister, escaped after wrestling the petrol can from Ali and screaming for help, according to reporting.
“Ali was also convicted of attempting to murder his former partner, Antonia Gawith, who had recently left his abusive seven-year relationship and moved in with her sister.”
Calum Sunderland, a 26-year-old who travelled with Ali, was convicted of manslaughter for the deaths of the four victims but was acquitted of murder; prosecutors presented evidence including doorbell footage linking Sunderland to the events that night.
Jealousy attack and aftermath
Reports describe the motive as jealousy and indicate Ali was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the attack. The judge and courts highlighted the distressing nature of the crimes and praised the bravery of rescuers. Mr Justice Hilliard described the case as 'distressing beyond measure'.
Wales Online singled out PC Miles Milner for pulling Ali from the flames. Upday News reported that police who pulled Ali from the fire said he sustained severe injuries, including the amputation of two fingers on each hand and ongoing breathing and speech difficulties.
Verdict and media coverage
Families of the victims issued statements mourning their loss and describing the personalities of those killed. The court concluded with convictions for Ali on murder and attempted murder and with a manslaughter conviction for the accomplice. Reporting by upday News and Wales Online aligns on core facts—victims’ names and ages, jealousy cited as the motive, the petrol-fuelled nature of the attack, and the convictions—while the Daily Mail excerpt provided here adds no case facts and exemplifies non-reporting in these snippets.
“Bryonie’s family issued a statement mourning their loss and describing the victims’ personalities.”