Mother Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison After Two Sets Of Twin Sons Die In House Fire
A 30-year-old woman, Deveca Rose, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after her four young sons tragically died in a house fire while she went shopping at a Sainsbury’s supermarket.
The devastating incident occurred on the evening of December 16, 2021, in a terraced house in Sutton, southwest London. Rose had left her two sets of twins—three-year-olds Leyton and Logan Hoath, and four-year-olds Kyson and Bryson Hoath—locked inside the unsafe home when the fire broke out.
The boys reportedly screamed for help as the blaze engulfed the property. A neighbor desperately tried to break down the front door, but the efforts were in vain.
Rose, who had a history of mental health struggles and had separated from her partner, was found guilty of four counts of manslaughter.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC, while delivering the sentence at the Old Bailey, described the case as “deeply tragic.” He emphasized that Rose’s decision to leave her young children unattended had fatal consequences.
“You were not there, and the children were too young to know what to do. As a result of what you did, they were all killed,” the judge said, noting that her trip to Sainsbury’s at the time of the fire was not for any essential or vital purpose.
The children’s father, Dalton Hoath, expressed his devastation at the loss of his “young, boisterous lads,” calling it “the worst day of my life.”
In a statement read by a relative, Mr. Hoath said, “Their lives had just begun but were cut so short. It was every parent’s worst nightmare. I will never recover from losing my funny, beautiful boys. I have to fight for all of us left behind and live with this massive pain in my heart before I meet them again.”
Great-grandmother Sally Johnson also shared her grief, saying, “The thought of them crying and screaming out will haunt me forever. My only comfort is that they are now together forever and need never be alone again.”
The court heard harrowing details of the living conditions in Rose’s home. Prosecutor Kate Lumsdon KC described the property as “squalid,” with rubbish and human waste scattered throughout the house.
The children had been living without a working toilet, and buckets were used as a substitute. The toilet and bathtub were filled with rubbish, rendering them unusable. The boys had not attended school for three weeks before their deaths.
During the investigation, Rose initially told firefighters that she had left her children in the care of a friend named Jade. However, police found no evidence of such a person existing or being present at the time of the fire.
The case has left a lasting impact on the family and community, with many questioning how such a tragedy could have been avoided. The sentencing serves as a somber reminder of the consequences of neglect and the importance of safeguarding vulnerable children.
