An inquest has concluded that an electrical fault likely caused a Boxing Day house fire in Brimscombe, Gloucestershire, which killed a mother and her two children as they slept.
Fionnghuala Shearman, known as Nu, died alongside her children Eve, seven, and four-year-old Ohner, and the family's dog Hutch. Tom Shearman, her husband and the children's father, attempted to rescue his family but was beaten back by the severity of the blaze that destroyed the mid-terrace Cotswold stone cottage on Brimscombe Hill.
Fire started in living room
An inquest held at Gloucestershire Coroner's Court heard the fire likely started in the living room of the house, caused by electrical items connected to the mains power supply. Emergency services were called at about 3am on December 26 last year.
Detective Inspector Louise Missen, of Gloucestershire Police, told the inquest that Mr Shearman was alerted to the fire when he went to use the bathroom in the early hours and became aware of an "unusual warmth and a smoky atmosphere". She said: "He realised the house was on fire and shouted at Mrs Shearman to wake up and get the children."
The hearing was told the father tried to reach the children in their bedroom by "striking and kicking" a window from outside the house but was unable to gain access. The severity of the fire meant Mr Shearman could not get into the property, after he also tried gaining access through a bathroom window. Ground floor doors could also not be forced open during his attempts to save his family.
Father's desperate attempts
When these efforts were to no avail, Mr Shearman decided "to prevent the further loss of life" and broke into a neighbouring property to alert the occupant, a woman named June, to the fire and help her to leave. June had spent Christmas morning with the Shearman family and had coffee and cake with them before the tragedy, the inquest heard.
The father then returned to the front of the house and was heard by neighbours shouting in the street that he could not "get his family out of the burning building". Mr Shearman was in a "very distressed state" and had sustained "quite significant injuries" when emergency services arrived at the scene.
Leroy Hughes, station manager for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said the first call to emergency services was received at 3.12am and that the property was "well alight" when crews arrived. The fire destroyed the roof, the ceilings and stairs, as well as causing other significant internal damage to the house.
No suspicious circumstances
Mr Hughes added that an investigation into the fire led him to believe it had started in the living room. The flames are then thought to have spread throughout the house, likely originating from "electrical devices connected to the domestic power supply". He said surrounding items such as soft furnishings and the Christmas tree would likely have fuelled the flames and exacerbated the spread of the fire.
It was stressed that there was no evidence of third party involvement in the incident or any suspicious circumstances. During the hearing, senior coroner Katy Skerrett paid tribute to Mr Shearman's "valiant" attempts to save his family. She said she accepted that the blaze likely started in the living room and added that it was probable the fire had started "from an electric ignition source".
The cause of death for Mrs Shearman, Eve and Ohner was given as "exposure to the combustion products of fire". Ms Skerrett concluded they were accidental deaths, describing the incident as an "absolute tragedy with the most horrific consequences possible for this loving young family".
The court heard Mrs Shearman was formally identified from a tattoo on her body while her two children were identified by DNA analysis. Mr Shearman, an officer with Gloucestershire Police, was taken to hospital for treatment but later discharged. He said previously that family and friends had "rallied around" to provide him with housing, clothes and food as well as "company and compassion".
In a tribute paid to his family on a GoFundMe appeal, he said previously: "My life, the lives of my loved ones, my friends and the whole community changed on Boxing Day. Most importantly, and tragically, three of the greatest humans to ever grace our presence were taken from not just me, but all of us."
He continued: "I cannot begin to describe the anguish and trauma of the events of Boxing Day 2025. My family had its very core, its very essence, ripped from it in the most violent way."
He added: "I will heal. I have already started the ball rolling on a plan that came to me just as I was falling past the precipice of the abyss. I will make sure my unbelievably talented, empathetic, compassionate and beautiful wife's legacy of craft, design and making lives on. As will I ensure that my bright spark Eve's legacy of enjoyment from books and writing be carried on. Along with my incredible son's sheer compassion and desire to help people."
