Mother sentenced for the deaths of four boys in house fire

A woman whose four young boys died in a house fire after she left them unattended at home to go shopping has been jailed.

Deveca Rose, 30, claimed she had left her children, twins Bryson and Kyson Hoath, aged 4, and twins Logan and Leyton Hoath, aged 3, in the care of a woman called “Jade” – causing the fire brigade to re-enter the property to search for another person. 

No one else was found in the property, and it later became clear following an extensive police investigation, that “Jade” did not exist at all.  

Evidence from CCTV, house to house enquiries and mobile phone analysis, as well as inconsistencies in Rose’s own accounts, proved she was not telling the truth

The fire started because of a discarded cigarette or tea-light candle in the front room of the house, with the boys unable to escape the locked property.  

The poor condition of the house they were living in contributed to the fire swiftly taking hold of the property.  

Rose was earlier convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment at the Old Bailey today. 

Emma Currie, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was an entirely preventable tragedy, resulting in the devastating loss of four young boys who had their whole lives ahead of them.  

“Deveca Rose not only left Bryson, Kyson, Logan and Leyton unattended to go shopping, but she then lied about the circumstances to avoid responsibility for their tragic deaths.  

“Our thoughts remain with their family, friends and wider community today – we recognise that nothing will bring back the young lives that have been lost.”