Two men in the UK are on trial, accused of killing the family of the ex-girlfriend of one of the men. Sharaz Ali allegedly wanted to get back at his former partner and thought burning her house down was the way to do it. Unfortunately, his plan did not play out the way he wanted it to. He did not kill his intended victim — instead he allegedly killed her sister and the sister’s three children. Now he is potentially going to face jail time for what happened.
According to prosecutors, Ali was “motivated by jealousy and fuelled by drink and drugs” when he set fire to the home of Bryonie Gawith, Sky News reported. They claim Ali went to Gawith’s home on August 21, 2024, to “take revenge” on his ex-girlfriend Antonia Gawith, who was staying there with her sister after ending their “abusive” seven-year relationship.
Ali, along with Calum Sunderland, reportedly broke into the home and lit it on fire from the inside. Antonia Gawith was able to escape the fire, but Bryonie Gawith, along with her 9-year-old, 6-year-old, and 22-month-old, were unable to get out of the house.
Prosecutor David Brooke KC told the courtroom that Ali was captured on doorbell footage telling Sunderland to “kick the door in.” Sunderland ran back to the car. Ali then reportedly went inside the house, poured gas, and set the fire, Sky News reported.
Antonia Gawith apparently saw her sister kick Ali as he attempted to get up the stairs, Brooke said. He said she “managed to wrestle the container from him but he lit the lighter and a fire started including himself, the stairs and her sister.”
“She ended up outside the closed front door and was then unable to get back inside.” The woman “ran around the back of the house but the back door had been jamming and she couldn’t get it open despite her kicking it,” Sky News reported. As she ran around the back of the house, Bryonie Gawith called for help, which arrived six minutes later. Sadly, it was too late to save the mother and her children.
“Sharaz Ali was himself caught by his own actions and was later pulled out of the house by the police badly injured,” Brooke told jurors, as reported by ITV News.
According to Brooke, Bryonie Gawith actively encouraged her sister to leave the abusive relationship with Ali. Antonia Gawith had actually decided to end the relationship while on a family vacation with her sister and the kids earlier that month. Ali called her while he was drunk and started “yet another argument,” per ITV News. She was staying with her sister while Ali moved his things out of their home.
He allegedly called and texted her multiple times for days because he “was not happy about the break-up.” His contact with the women was “aggressive” leading up to when he arrived at the home.
According to a report from The Guardian shortly after the incident, Bryonie Gawith was also a victim of abuse and was estranged from the father of her children after he allegedly strangled her and stole her phone.
“No words can describe how we are feeling and no words could ever make up for the profound loss we are now faced with,” Bryonie Gawith’s family shared in a statement at the time. “We are overwhelmed and grateful for all the support and kind words we are receiving, but we ask as a family if we can be given the respect and privacy so we can try to come to terms with the unimaginable sadness and grief of this tragic loss of our beautiful family.”
Sharaz Ali and Calum Sunderland have been charged with murdering the family as well as attempting to murder Antonia Gawith. They both have pleaded not guilty.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women’s shelter (domesticshelters.org).
