A serving police officer has spoken of his profound grief after his wife and two young children were killed in a devastating house fire on Boxing Day.
A Father's Heartbreaking Tribute
Tom Shearman, an officer with Gloucestershire Police, described his lost family as "three of the greatest humans to ever grace our presence". His wife, Fionnghuala, known as Nu, died alongside their children, seven-year-old Eve and four-year-old Ohner, in the blaze at their Cotswold stone cottage on Brimscombe Hill, near Stroud.
The family's dog, Hutch, also perished. Mr Shearman was injured attempting a desperate rescue but has since been discharged from hospital.
The Night of the Tragedy
Emergency services were called to the mid-terrace property at around 3am on Boxing Day, 2025. Mr and Mrs Shearman were awoken by the fire and tried to reach their children in a rear bedroom.
In a valiant effort, Mr Shearman smashed a bathroom window to try to access the children's room from outside but was unable to do so. The severity of the flames prevented him from re-entering the house through the window or forcing open the ground-floor doors.
Police believe the fire started on the ground floor. Investigations into the exact cause are ongoing, but authorities have confirmed they are not treating it as suspicious.
Legacy and Overwhelming Community Support
In a moving post on a GoFundMe page, which has raised more than £300,000 since its launch on Sunday, Mr Shearman shared his anguish and his determination to honour his family's legacy.
"I cannot begin to describe the anguish and trauma of the events of Boxing Day 2025," he wrote. "My family had its very core, its very essence, ripped from it in the most violent way."
He vowed to continue his wife's legacy in craft and design, his daughter Eve's love of books and writing, and his son Ohner's compassion. He expressed being "humbled beyond comprehension" by the public's generosity and thanked friends, family, and the emergency services who responded to the call.
Floral tributes and messages left at the scene have been moved to Holy Trinity Church in Minchinhampton at the family's request, where further items can be placed.
The fire caused catastrophic damage, destroying the roof, ceilings, and stairs of the home. The bodies of the two children and the dog were recovered from the property on Tuesday, following the earlier recovery of a woman in her late 30s.
