Man accused of murdering family in house fire found dead in prison

WorldPolitics
25 Sep 2025 • 10:59 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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A man accused murdering a mother and her three children in a house fire has been found dead in prison.

Bryonie Gawith, 29; Denisty Birtle, nine; Oscar Birtle, five; and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle died after the blaze at their home in Westbury Road, Bradford, in the early hours of August 21 last year.

Mohammed Shabir, 45, of Alice Street, Keighley, was one of three men due to go on trial accused of their murders later this year.

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On Thursday, a Prison Service spokesperson said: “Mohammed Shabir died on September 24 2025 at HMP Leeds.

“As with all deaths in custody, the prisons and probation ombudsman will investigate.”

Shabir had denied the murder charges along with co-accused Sharaz Ali, 40, of no fixed address, and Calum Sunderland, 26, of Calton Street, Keighley.

They also denied attempting to murder and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Ms Gawith’s sister Antonia Gawith.

The trial has been fixed for November 17 at Bradford Crown Court.

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