A man accused of murdering his former partner’s sister and her three children in a house fire says he spilled the petrol that started the blaze accidentally, a court has heard.
Sharaz Ali is alleged to have deliberately set fire to the home of Bryonie Gawith and her children in a botched revenge attack on his former partner – Bryonie’s sister, Antonia Gawith.
Prosecutors say Ali was “motivated by jealousy and fuelled by drink and drugs” when he went to the house, where Antonia was staying after ending their “abusive”, seven-year relationship, earlier that month.
Antonia told Doncaster Crown Court she came downstairs as Ali and another man broke into the house in the early hours of August 21 last year.
She said Ali poured petrol around the house and on her before starting to walk up the stairs and being kicked down by Bryonie.
Antonia said Ali then used a lighter to start the fire, and tearfully described her efforts to get help for her sister, nieces and nephew who were trapped inside the burning house.
On Friday, Mohammed Nawaz KC, defending Ali, said he denies deliberately pouring the petrol.
Cross-examining Antonia, Mr Nawaz said: “He says you and he were wrestling with it and the petrol was spilling out in that way.”
Antonia said: “No. He was pouring petrol when he walked in the door and he threw it onto me.
“That’s when I was trying to stop him from pouring it everywhere.”
Mr Nawaz said: “He doesn’t accept he went up the stairs and had any contact with Bryonie.”
Antonia said she had seen that happen.
She said she could tell from his messages earlier that night that Ali had been drinking because he “wasn’t making sense when he was speaking”.
Antonia confirmed, when asked by Mr Nawaz, that Ali had been saying he was “desperate to see her and have her back”.
She said Ali had talked the day before about killing himself and had sent her a video of him self-harming.
Bryonie, 29, and her children: Denisty Birtle, nine; Oscar Birtle, five; and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle; died in the blaze on Westbury Road, Bradford.
Ali, 40, of no fixed address, and Calum Sunderland, 26, of Calton Street, Keighley, are charged with murdering Bryonie and the three children, and attempting to murder Antonia.
Mohammed Shabir, 45, who had been due to go on trial with them, died of a heart attack last month after collapsing in prison.
Prosecutors say Shabir drove to and from the house while Sunderland kicked the door in.
Ali and Sunderland deny the charges and the trial continues.
