Four young boys who died after being left home alone had repeatedly called “there’s a fire here” amid desperate attempts to rescue them, a court has heard.
Deveca Rose, 29, had left her two sets of twins, Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged three, and Kyson and Bryson Hoath, aged four, locked in at their mid-terraced house while she went shopping in Sainsbury’s, it is alleged.
While she was out, a discarded cigarette or tea light in the living room started a fire which was quickly spread by rubbish at the property in Sutton, south London, jurors heard.
On Tuesday, London Fire Brigade station officer Darren Woodhams told jurors that there was a smoke detector on the first floor landing of the property, but it was “inoperable” as it had no batteries inside.
She made the first of four calls to the fire brigade, saying there were children inside the property.
Mr Woodhams told jurors the neighbour saw there was “smoke and flames” coming from next door and also alerted her husband.
“He observed the front windows were black. He could hear the children’s voices saying there was a fire here over and over.
“A neighbour forced the front door of the property open to try to get into the property to access the children.
“However, due to the fire’s intensity in the front room of the property they were unable to enter,” the fire investigator said.
Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and a carrying thermal imaging camera went in to rescue the children.
The fire was extinguished and the two began with a search of the ground floor before moving upstairs.
Mr Woodhams said: “Whilst trying to make their way up the stairs the crew experienced some difficulties due to a mattress and possibly a door on the stairs.
“Having removed the items they made their way upstairs carrying a thermal imaging camera. However, the thermal imaging camera had failed.
“Another crew member who realised they were having problems went to the rear of the property, made their way onto the flat roof at the rear and broke a rear window and passed them a replacement thermal imaging camera.”
The two firefighters inside the house then found one child under a bed before locating the other three boys also under a bed.
Once they were brought outside, firefighters assisted with chest compressions and the use of a defibrillator before the children were taken to two hospitals.
Jurors heard that Logan was the first to be declared dead at 8.39pm, followed by Leyton at 8.40pm, Kyson at 9.12pm and Bryson at 9.36pm.
The cause of death was later given as inhalation of fire fumes.
At the scene, Mr Woodhams said firefighters were instructed to go back into the house after being made aware there might be someone else inside.
Jurors have heard that the children’s mother, who was taken in by a neighbour, claimed she left the boys with a friend called Jade.
However, extensive police inquiries led investigators to the conclusion that Jade either did not exist or was not present that evening, the court has heard.
Jurors were shown pictures of the fire damage as it was found by investigators in the days that followed the tragedy.
Amid the blackened interior downstairs was what appeared to be a mattress, the remains of a wooden bed frame and detritus said to be some 20cm deep.
Although the children appeared to be well turned out, the house was thickly spread with rubbish and human excrement, the court has heard.
Rose, of Wallington, south London, has denied four charges of manslaughter and child cruelty.
The Old Bailey trial continues.
