The tragic deaths of four young brothers, Kyson and Bryson, aged four, and Leyton and Logan, aged three, have resulted in the imprisonment of their mother, Deveca Rose. The boys perished in a house fire while Rose was away shopping, leaving them locked inside their squalid South London home just days before Christmas. The fire, likely caused by a discarded cigarette or an overturned tea light igniting accumulated rubbish, rapidly engulfed the terraced house. Neighbours heard the children’s desperate cries but were unable to reach them due to the intensity of the flames. Rose, 29, has been sentenced to ten years in jail after being found guilty of four counts of manslaughter.
The living conditions within the home were deplorable. Rubbish littered the floors, human excrement was present, and the smoke alarm lacked batteries. A mattress and a door were found obstructing the staircase, further hindering escape routes. The state of the house, coupled with Rose’s absence, created a fatal combination of neglect and hazardous circumstances that directly led to the boys’ deaths. CCTV footage revealed Rose attempting to shop with the children at a local Sainsbury’s shortly before the fire, struggling to control them as they ran through the aisles. She ultimately left the store without completing her purchase.
Rose’s actions leading up to the fire paint a picture of a struggling mother overwhelmed by the demands of raising four young children. An hour before the fire, witnesses reported hearing her yelling and swearing at the boys. Upon returning to the burning house, Rose initially fabricated a story about leaving the children with a woman named “Jade,” a claim that proved false. This delayed rescue efforts as firefighters searched for a non-existent individual. Upon realizing the devastating truth, Rose’s reaction was a mixture of distress and defiance, telling police, "My kids just died and I’m being f***ing arrested."
The boys’ father, Dalton Hoath, expressed his profound grief in a victim impact statement, describing the loss as "the worst day of my life" and a "parent’s worst nightmare." He spoke of his struggle to cope with the immense pain, revealing thoughts of suicide and a desperate desire to reunite with his sons. The boys’ great-grandmother, Sally Johnson, shared her torment, haunted by the imagined screams of the trapped children. She expressed her inability to forgive Rose and questioned the inexplicable nature of the tragedy.
Social services had been involved with the family prior to the fire, prompted by concerns raised by a GP about the “chaotic home environment.” Reports detailed a rubbish-filled garden and a strong, unpleasant smell emanating from the house. During a visit, Rose refused to allow social workers to see the children, raising further concerns about her mental health and the boys’ well-being. However, the case was closed due to Rose’s lack of engagement with subsequent meetings. The children had also been absent from school for three months leading up to the fire, a detail that went unnoticed due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This heart-wrenching case highlights the devastating consequences of neglect and the systemic failures that can contribute to such tragedies. The squalid living conditions, the absence of a functioning smoke alarm, the unattended children, and the mother’s inability to cope all played a role in the boys’ deaths. The prior involvement of social services raises questions about whether more could have been done to prevent this catastrophic outcome. The sentencing of Deveca Rose brings a legal conclusion to this case, but the emotional scars and the unanswered questions will undoubtedly linger for years to come. The lives of four young boys were tragically cut short, leaving a void in the lives of their family and a stark reminder of the importance of child welfare and the devastating impact of neglect.
