On Thursday, British mother Deveca Rose was convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of her four young sons
After more than three hours of deliberation, an Old Bailey jury found her guilty of four counts of manslaughter by a majority of 11 to 1. Rose was acquitted of child cruelty charges, according to The Guardian.
As previously reported on CrimeOnline, four British boys died in a fire surrounded by “trash and human waste” after their mother allegedly left them home alone to shop at a Sainsbury’s store, jurors heard.
The Guardian reported that prosecutor Kate Lumsdon KC told the court, “There was rubbish thickly spread throughout the house. The toilet and the bath were full of rubbish and could not be used. Buckets and pots were used as toilets instead.”
The defendant denied charges of manslaughter and child cruelty involving her two sets of twins, identified as Leyton and Logan Hoath, both three, and Kyson and Bryson Hoath, both four.
The fire at their London home was allegedly sparked by a discarded cigarette or an overturned tea light. The boys reportedly ran upstairs, crying for help, but were trapped in the locked house and died under a bed, according to prosecutors at the Old Bailey.
Sky News reported that prosecutor Kate Lumsdon KC alleged during opening statements that Rose left the children alone to go to the supermarket on the evening of December 16, 2021.
“She either dropped a lit cigarette before she left or left tea lights burning, or both. A fire started on or under the sofa, and due to the amount of rubbish in the house, it took hold quickly,” Lumsdon said.
On the day in question, Rose returned from the store while firefighters were still battling the fire. After her arrest, she gave a prepared statement claiming she had left the children with a friend.
Lumsdon told jurors that no evidence of this friend existed, and investigations led to the “firm conclusion” that the friend either did not exist or was not present that evening.
Sentencing in this “tragic case,” as Judge Mark Lucraft KC stated, will be held November 15. Rose was granted bail until sentencing.
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[Featured image: Kyson, Bryson, Leyton and Logan Hoath/Facebook]
