Mum killed four young sons after fire broke out when she went to the shops

Deveca Rose was charged with four counts of manslaughter after a fire tore through the ground floor of her mid-terrace house in Sutton, south London, killing her four children

A mother has been convicted of the manslaughter of her four young sons after leaving them alone in their home to go shopping, during which time a fire broke out. Deveca Rose was charged with four counts of manslaughter following a fire that engulfed the ground floor of her mid-terrace house, in Sutton, south London, resulting in the deaths of twin brothers Kyson and Bryson, aged four, and three-year-old twins Leyton and Logan.

The Old Bailey heard that the children perished after a discarded cigarette or overturned tea light ignited the fire. After deliberating for three hours and 22 minutes, a jury found her guilty of the manslaughter of her four sons by a majority of 11 to one.

She was acquitted of child cruelty. Judge Mark Lucraft KC described it as a "tragic case" and postponed sentencing until November 15, while granting Rose continued bail.

The court was informed during her trial that she was arrested at the hospital where her children were declared dead, and she told a police officer: "My kids just died and I'm being f***ing arrested". She had left the boys alone after returning to a supermarket that the family of five had visited earlier in the day.

CCTV footage shown to jurors depicted Rose struggling to pay for her shopping at Sainsbury's on the day of the fire, repeatedly attempting to keep two of her children in the trolley while the other two ran around. Unable to purchase all her items on that trip, the mother returned later without the children, which is when the fire started, reports the Mirror.

Prosecutor Kate Lumsdon KC described to the court a harrowing scene where four boys tragically died in a fire amidst rubbish and human excrement. On December 16, 2021, around 6.30pm, the children were left alone at home while their mother visited Sainsbury's.

During her absence, neighbours noticed the house ablaze, with the children trapped inside behind a shut door, Ms Lumsdon recounted. She continued, "A neighbour kicked in the door but the fire had taken hold to the extent that it was impossible to enter. The fire brigade were called. Many units attended. Using appropriate protective clothing and breathing apparatus firemen put out the fire and entered the house. They found the four boys under a bed in the upstairs front room. They were limp and unconscious. Firemen noted that there was rubbish all over the floor of the house and human excrement. There was a mattress and a door on the stairs."

Despite efforts to resuscitate the children on the pavement outside, they were pronounced dead at the hospital, having succumbed to inhalation of fire fumes.

The defendant returned from shopping to find the firefighters at work and was comforted by a neighbour.

The jury heard how the father of the boys had also arrived at the scene. Prosecutor Ms Lumsdon explained that Rose had asserted she left her children in the care of a woman named Jade, which led firefighters to re-enter the property in search of her.

However, Ms Lumsdon highlighted that there was no evidence of the friend being present, and exhaustive investigations reached the "firm conclusion" that Jade either did not exist or was not involved in the events of that night.

Following her arrest, Rose continued to claim in a written statement that she had entrusted the children to a friend called Jade. "Despite following all the leads provided by Ms Rose and conducting their own investigations, the police could find no trace of Jade," Ms Lumsdon stated.

The court also learned that the children were familiar to social services, but their file was closed three months before they passed away. The paternal side of the family had expressed concerns, with the children's paternal grandmother rarely visiting the house because Rose was "cagey" about allowing her inside, the jury was informed.

Allegations of inappropriate behaviour at the children's school led to social services involvement from July to September 2021. During a July 2021 visit, a social worker encountered rubbish around the home, a "very strong unpleasant smell", and noted Rose's lack of self-care.

It was also mentioned to jurors that despite scheduled visits, Rose failed to engage further, leading to the case closure in September 2021. In the weeks leading up to the tragic fire, the children had been absent from school for three consecutive weeks.

The court heard the harrowing details of Rose's arrest at the hospital following the tragic death of her children in a fire. An officer informed Rose, "Are you aware there was a fire today at your home address and four children were left in that address? And unfortunately they've all passed away, they're all deceased."

To which Rose responded, "Mmhm every single one of my kids are dead."

Upon being arrested for child neglect, she remarked, "Neglect? I wasn't on my own, but okay."

And when it was explained that handcuffs were necessary to protect forensic evidence, she exclaimed: "My kids just died and I'm being f***ing arrested".

The jury also heard from a psychiatrist who diagnosed Rose with "recurrent depressive disorder" and noted a significant decline in her mental health before the incident, as conveyed by prosecutor Ms Lumsdon. Rose, a carer for the elderly, had been declared unfit for work since April 2021.

Following the prosecution's conclusion on Tuesday, October 1, Rose's defence barrister Laurie-Anne Power, KC, stated that Rose would not testify.