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A major murder trial in West Yorkshire has been thrown into disarray after one of the three men accused of the fatal house fire that killed a mother and her three children died while on remand at HMP Leeds.
Mohammed Shabir, 45, of Keighley, died in prison on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, a spokesperson for the Prison Service confirmed. The cause of his death was not immediately disclosed, but the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) is scheduled to launch an independent investigation into the circumstances, a standard procedure for any death in custody.
Mr. Shabir, whose name suggests a South Asian (Desi) heritage, and whose date of birth is recorded in court documents as April 6, 1980, was charged with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder following the devastating fire.
The blaze occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at a family home on Westbury Road, Bradford. The victims were identified as Bryonie Gawith, 29, and her three young children: Denisty Birtle, nine; Oscar Birtle, five; and Aubree Birtle, just 22 months old. The charges also included the attempted murder and attempted grievous bodily harm of Ms. Gawith’s sister, Antonia Gawith.
The Upcoming Trial
Shabir, along with his co-defendants, Sharaz Ali, 40 (whose name also suggests a South Asian heritage, of no fixed address), and Calum Sunderland, 26, of Keighley, had previously appeared in Bradford Crown Court and all denied the charges.
The three men were due to stand trial together on November 17, 2025, a date that was set in March 2025 by Mr. Justice Hilliard, who ruled that the three men would be jointly tried.
Sharaz Ali, the third suspect, was arrested at the scene and was initially in a coma with critical injuries. Due to a "marked improvement" in his condition, he was formally charged in March 2025 after doctors found him fit to stand trial, and he was subsequently moved from the hospital to a prison facility in April 2025.
The Prison Service confirmed on Thursday that the trial for the remaining two accused men, Sharaz Ali and Calum Sunderland, is currently scheduled to proceed as planned on November 17, but the court may now have to consider an adjustment following Mr. Shabir's death.
