Mum Guilty of Manslaughter After Four Boys Die in Sutton House Blaze
A Sutton woman has been found guilty of manslaughter following a devastating house fire that claimed the lives of four young boys. The victims were two sets of twins—Bryson and Kyson, both four, and Leyton and Logan, aged three—who died after being left alone in their home on Collingwood Road on the evening of December 16, 2021.
Deveca Rose Blamed for Tragedy
29-year-old Deveca Rose, the boys’ mother, was convicted of four counts of manslaughter at the Old Bailey on Thursday, October 3. Although charged with child neglect, she was found not guilty of that. Rose is currently out on bail and will be sentenced on November 15.
“Bryson, Kyson, Leyton, and Logan Hoath were cruelly taken from us in a senseless act of negligence,” a family statement read. “The last three years have been a nightmare… Today these have been shown to be false. Bryson, Kyson, Leyton, and Logan were left alone by their mother Deveca Rose, and today she has been found to be responsible for their deaths.”
Chilling Details of the Night of the Fire
On that tragic night, a passer-by spotted the house ablaze and alerted a neighbour, who tried to enter but was forced back by the fierce flames. Firefighters from the London Fire Brigade rushed to the scene with police and paramedics. They managed to control the fire and found the four boys unconscious in an upstairs bedroom. Despite desperate medical efforts, all four tragically died from smoke inhalation.
Rose claimed she left the children in the care of a woman named “Jade” while she was out shopping. However, no evidence of “Jade” ever existed. CCTV footage and phone records revealed no sign of the babysitter, and the phone number Rose gave was fake, bearing close resemblance to her own.
Negligence and Nightmarish Conditions
Investigators described the house as messy and unsanitary, with the fire likely sparked by a candle or cigarette in the living room. The boys were locked inside the house, unable to escape the blaze. They sought shelter in an upstairs bedroom, where they succumbed to the fumes.
Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend said: “Deveca Rose was the very person who should have protected and nurtured the four boys, but instead, put her own self-interest above their safety… The needless loss of four young lives is beyond comprehension. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones affected by this tragedy.”
The family also thanked the courts, jury, and police for their tireless work in delivering justice.
