A mother from London has been convicted of manslaughter related to a house fire that resulted in the death of her four young sons in December 2021.

Deveca Rose, 30, had left her two pairs of twins unattended at home while she went to shop at a nearby Sainsbury’s supermarket. The victims, Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged 3, and Kyson and Bryson Hoath, aged 4, lost their lives in the fire that consumed their terraced house in Sutton, South London.

After a little over three hours of deliberation, the jury at the Old Bailey found Rose guilty of four counts of manslaughter on October 3. However, she was acquitted of an additional charge of child cruelty.

According to the prosecution, the fire was started by a carelessly discarded cigarette or an overturned tea light, which ignited a pile of garbage in the living room, causing the fire to quickly spread throughout the cluttered house. The boys were discovered unconscious under a bed in an upstairs bedroom, having died from smoke inhalation.

Evidence presented during the trial depicted a disturbing picture of the conditions inside the home. Witnesses reported seeing human waste on the floors, with pots and buckets used as makeshift toilets, and rubbish scattered around the house. The smoke alarm in the house was not operational due to the lack of batteries.

On the day of the fire, Rose was seen on CCTV trying to shop with her four children at Sainsbury’s. The footage showed her having difficulty controlling the boys, with two of them running around the aisles while she tried to keep the other two in the shopping cart. Unable to finish her shopping, Rose exited the store with the children.

About an hour before the fire broke out, neighbors reported hearing Rose shouting at the children. She was then spotted leaving for Sainsbury’s alone, with the boys locked inside the house.

The fire started around 7 p.m., and neighbors heard the children’s desperate pleas for help but were unable to enter the burning building. Firefighters managed to retrieve the boys, but despite their efforts, all four children were declared dead shortly after arrival at the hospital.

Rose initially claimed she had left the children with a woman named Jade, leading firefighters to conduct a second search of the house, but no evidence of another person was found. Police investigations also failed to find anyone matching the description of the alleged caretaker.

The boys’ father, Dalton Hoath, shared his devastation in a statement to the court. “After being taken to the hospital, it became clear that all four of my children had not made it and that my world had been turned upside down,” he said. Hoath described his sons as “young, boisterous lads” who were well-mannered and well-behaved.

Hoath, who was not living with Rose and their children, stated that he was “not aware” that she had left the children alone for “any length of time” or for any reason other than to get “supplies” and that, in general, she had been a “good mum.”

During the trial, it was revealed that social services had been involved with the family in the months leading up to the tragedy. A general practitioner had raised concerns about the “chaotic home environment” in July 2021. Social workers who visited the property noted the accumulation of rubbish in the garden and a strong, unpleasant smell. However, the case was closed when Rose failed to participate in further meetings.

The court also learned that the children had not been attending school for three months before the incident. School officials did not find this unusual due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The defense argued that Rose may have been suffering from depression or a personality disorder at the time of the fire. However, the prosecution argued that this did not excuse her from responsibility for the deaths of the children.

Rose’s sentencing is scheduled for November 15, 2024.