CPS authorises murder charges following the death of Bryonie Gawith and her three children in Bradford house fire
Amanda McInnes, a Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire & Humberside, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised West Yorkshire Police to charge Mohammed Amjid Shabir, 44, and Calum Sunderland, 25, with murder after a house fire which killed Bryonie Gawith and her three children.
“Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her three children – Denisty Birtle, 9, Oscar Birtle, 5, and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle – died in the early hours of Wednesday, 21 August after a house fire at their home.
“Mohammed Amjid Shabir and Calum Sunderland have also been charged with attempted murder in relation to others in who survived the house fire and are due to appear at Bradford Magistrates’ Court on 28 August 2024.
“Our thoughts remain with the friends and family of Bryonie and her children.
“We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendants are active and that they have a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Notes to editors
- Mohammed Amjid Shabir (DOB: 06/04/1980) has been charged with 4x murder and 1x attempted murder.
- Calum Sunderland (DOB: 27/12/1998) has been charged with 4x murder and 1x attempted murder.
- Amanda McInnes, is a Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire & Humberside’s Complex Casework Unit.
- The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent, objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.
- The CPS assessment of any case is not in any sense a finding of, or implication of, any guilt or criminal conduct. It is not a finding of fact, which can only be made by a court, but rather an assessment of what it might be possible to prove to a court, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
- West Yorkshire Police’s investigation is ongoing. For details, please contact their press office.