2 Sets of Toddler-Age Twins Die in a House Fire After Mom Leaves Them Alone To Go Shopping
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A court has heard that two sets of twins tragically died in a house fire in England after being left home alone while their mother was out shopping. Prosecutors told the Old Bailey in London that 4-year-old twins Bryson and Kyson Hoath, along with their younger brothers, 3-year-olds Logan and Leyton Hoath, were unable to escape the blaze that broke out in their locked home in Sutton, South London, in December 2021.
According to reports BBC, the fire was allegedly started by either a discarded cigarette or an upturned tea light. Prosecutors described the home as being filled with trash and human waste, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
Deveca Rose, the 29-year-old mother of the boys, has denied four counts of manslaughter. She was charged in November 2023 with four counts of manslaughter, as well as child cruelty, which she also denies, according to a news release from the Metropolitan Police.
“She either dropped a lit cigarette before she left or left tea lights burning, or both,” said prosecutor Kate Lumsdon KC, per Sky News. “A fire started on or under the sofa, and due to the amount of rubbish in the house, it took hold quickly.”
As the fire spread, the boys reportedly ran upstairs, shouting for help, while their mother was at a grocery store. Neighbors, who realized the house was on fire, could hear the children inside but were unable to rescue them. “The children were locked in the house and could not escape,” Lumsdon told the jury. “They ran upstairs to get away from the fire, but it was too late.”
When emergency responders arrived, they found Bryson, Kyson, Logan, and Leyton “limp and unconscious” under a bed. They were rushed to the hospital but were later pronounced dead. The cause of death was determined to be inhalation of fire fumes.
Firefighters reported that the house was in severe disrepair, with “rubbish all over the floor, human excrement, and a mattress and door on the stairs,” according to The Times. The prosecution also revealed that the boys had not attended school for three weeks prior to the fire.
Upon returning home, Rose reportedly told firefighters she had left her children in the care of a woman named Jade. However, investigators found no evidence of another person being present, and prosecutors suggested that “Jade did not exist, or if she existed at all, she did not play the role ascribed to her by Ms. Rose that night.” The trial is ongoing.
