Mother whose two sets of twins died in house fire denies manslaughter and child cruelty
3 June 2024, 13:32
A mother has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of her two sets of twin sons who died following a house fire.
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Deveca Rose also denied cruelty towards the children, who were aged three and four at time of their deaths in 2021.
The 29-year-old, of Wallington, south London, is due to face trial at the Old Bailey on September 9.
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Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged three, and Kyson and Bryson Hoath, aged four, died after a fire at a property in Collingwood Road, Sutton, south London, at about 7pm on December 16 2021.
The children had been extracted from the "intense blaze" at the mid-terrace house by firefighters.
They were given CPR before they were taken to two south London hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.
Rose was subsequently charged with four counts of manslaughter and cruelty to a child under the age of 16.
The defendant, who is on bail, entered her pleas on Monday during a hearing before Judge Mark Lucraft KC at the Old Bailey.
The trial, which was put back a week to September 9, is due to take up to three weeks.
