Two sets of twins perished in a house fire after their mother left them locked in while she went to Sainsburys, a court heard.
Deveca Rose, 29, is accused of killing Kyson and Bryson Hoath, aged four, along with Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged three, who died in the inferno in Sutton, south London.
The fire started from either a discarded cigarette or an upturned tea light which spread to rubbish on the floor and then engulfed the living room sofa, the Old Bailey heard.,
Rose denies four counts of manslaughter and one of child cruelty after the tragedy in Collingwood Road, Sutton, on December 16, 2021.
She claims she had left the children with a woman called Jade.
Prosecutor Kate Lumsdon, KC, said: ‘On Thursday 16 December 2021 at about 6.30pm Ms Rose left the children unattended, say the crown, and went to Sainsbury’s.
Deveca Rose, pictured outside the Old Bailey, denies the manslaughter of her four sons who died in a fire at the family home in Sutton, south London in December 2021. She also denies a child neglect
Kyson and Bryson Hoath, aged four died alongside their bothers, Leyton and Logan Hoath, at their home in Sutton, south London in December 2021
Firefighters carried the four boys from the burning building but they were all declared dead a short time later
The Old Bailey heard Rose, pictured, had left the four children alone in the house as she went shopping
‘While she was away, neighbours realised the house was on fire. The children could be heard inside. The door was shut.
‘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.
‘Firemen noted that there was rubbish all over the floor of the house and human excrement. There was a mattress and a door lying on the stairs.
‘Lifesaving attempts were made on the pavement outside, but there was nothing that could be done.
‘The boys were taken by ambulance to hospital. At hospital they were all formally pronounced dead.
‘The cause of death was given in due course as “inhalation of fire fumes”.
‘As the firefighters were tackling the blaze, Deveca Rose arrived back from Sainsbury’s.
‘She was taken in by neighbours at the request of the fire service. She was later taken to a police van.
‘She said that she had left the children in the care of a woman called Jade. The fire brigade went back into the property to search for Jade but there was no sign of another person within the property.
‘Extensive investigation by the police, combined with inconsistent information provided by Ms Rose about Jade, leads the crown to the firm conclusion that Jade did not exist, or, if she existed at all, she did not play the part ascribed to her by Ms Rose that night.’
Rose was a single mother to the four children after splitting from their father Dalton Hoath, who came to the scene after the fire with his parents.
Logan and Leyton were taken to St Helier Hospital while Kyson and Bryson were taken to St Georges Hospital along with their mother.
Rose was arrested at the hospital for child neglect.
In interview she again told police she had left the children with ‘Jade’ and she was released under investigation.
Ms Rose, wearing sunglasses, headphones and a large coat, sobbed and made loud moaning noises in the dock as the jury were sworn this morning.
Her junior barrister sat in the dock beside her as the judge asked her to raise her head so the jury could check if they recognised her.
Asked if she recognised any members of of the jury, she said she could not see anything.
Jurors were told she has an issues with her eyes and would observe proceedings for the rest of the day via a link from a room with lower lighting.
Rose denies four counts of manslaughter and one of cruelty to a person under 16.
The trial continues.