A man suspected of murdering a mother and three children in a Bradford house fire ‘is in a coma’, a court heard.
Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her children – Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle – died when their home ‘was deliberately set alight’ on August 21.
Two men have appeared in court charged with murder and attempted murder following a house fire that killed a mother and her three children in Bradford.
But a 39-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder remains in hospital after being arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene of the fire.
He is believed to be the ex-partner of a woman who was visiting the family.
Prosecutor Matthew Bean told Bradford Crown Court: ‘He is, at the moment, very unwell and the expectation is that he may not recover.
‘He may but at the moment there is a degree of uncertainty.
‘There is a possibility there will be two further defendants, perhaps three, on different offences but linked.’
Mohammed Shabir, 44, of Alice Street, Keighley, and Calum Sunderland, 25, of Calton Street, Keighley, appeared at Bradford Magistrates Court via video link from prison on Wednesday.
Both are accused of murdering Ms Gawith and the three children, and attempting to murder Antonia Gawith.
They spoke to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses during the brief hearing and were not asked to indicate pleas to the charges.
Sunderland wore a grey sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms, while Shabir wore a black zipped top.
The pair were remanded in custody until the next hearing which is due at the same court for a plea and trial preparation on September 25.
Judge Jonathan Rose, the Recorder of Bradford, set a provisional trial date of March 4.
Sunderland was arrested following police inquiries in the Keighley area of the city in the early hours of Monday morning.
Shabir was arrested when he attended a police station after 10am on the same day.
Four other people remain under investigation, police said.
This includes the 39-year-old man who remains in hospital in critical condition after being arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder.
Police confirmed he is the ex-partner of a woman who was visiting the family.
Another man, 36, was arrested on suspicion of murder an attempted murder on Friday before being released on conditional bail after an interview.
Two more – a woman, 54, and a man, 42, were arrested on Monday on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Both have been interviewed and released on bail.
The fire erupted at the home on Westbury Road just before 2.10am. Neighbours awoke to screams as smoke spewed from the home and into the street.
Bryonie, known to many as B, was described as the ‘life and soul of the party’ by her family.
‘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,’ her family said in a tribute.
‘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.’
Bryonie’s fiancée and the father of her three children, Jonathan, said he has been ‘left ‘absolutely distraught’.
‘I loved them with all my heart and if I had the chance, I would take their place in a heartbeat. I cannot imagine life without them,’ he said.
‘They will never be forgotten and will always be in my heart.’
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