Four young boys tragically lost their lives after being left home alone and repeatedly calling for help as a fire engulfed their house in Sutton, South London. Deveca Rose, 29, left her two sets of twins, Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged three, and Kyson and Bryson Hoath, aged four, locked in their mid-terraced house while she went shopping in Sainsbury’s, according to court proceedings.
The fire, believed to have been sparked by a discarded cigarette or tea light, quickly spread through the property due to accumulated rubbish. Despite neighbours’ efforts to alert the fire brigade and rescue the children, the intensity of the fire prevented immediate access to the house.
Firefighters arrived at the scene on Collingwood Road and were faced with challenges including an inoperable smoke detector and obstacles inside the house. Despite their best efforts, they found the boys unconscious under a bed, and all four children were pronounced dead at the hospital due to inhalation of fire fumes.
During the trial at the Old Bailey, it was revealed that Rose had claimed she left the boys with a friend named Jade, but investigations indicate that Jade may not have existed or been present at the time of the incident. The court also heard about the conditions inside the house, with the presence of rubbish and human excrement contrasting the well-dressed appearance of the children.
Rose, of Wallington, South London, faces four charges of manslaughter and child cruelty, to which she has pleaded not guilty. As the trial continues, the community mourns the tragic loss of the young boys and seeks justice for their untimely deaths.