Fire murder suspect transferred to prison

A man charged with murdering a mother and her three children in a house fire has been moved from hospital to prison, ahead of his trial.

Sharaz Ali, 39, was seriously injured in the incident on Westbury Road, Bradford, on 21 August last year, and Bradford Crown Court had previously been told he might not survive.

Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her three children, Denisty, Oscar and Aubree Birtle, aged nine, five and 22 months, all died in the fire.

Mr Ali has since recovered and deemed well enough to be transferred to HMP Leeds.

He appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday by video link, alongside co-defendants Calum Sunderland, 26, and Mohammed Shabir, 44.

All three are charged with four counts of murder and will stand trial together at Bradford Crown Court.

They are also charged with the attempted murder of Bryonie Gawith's sister, Antonia, who was Mr Ali's ex-partner.

The court was told in March that Mr Ali would be fit for trial within six to nine months.

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