Tom Shearman’s Family Died in a House Fire Likely Started by Plugged-In Devices

An inquest heard that a fire which killed Fionnghuala “Nu” Shearman and her two young children probably began in the living room, where electrical devices were connected to the household power supply. The blaze tore through the family’s home in Brimscombe, near Stroud, on Boxing Day last year. Nu, 38, and the couple’s daughter Eve, seven, and son Ohner, four, died in the fire. The family dog, Hutch, also perished. Tom Shearman, a serving Gloucestershire police officer, escaped through a window after discovering smoke and heat inside the house in the early hours. At Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court, fire service station manager Leroy Hughes said investigators believed the fire started in the living room and then spread through the property. A Christmas tree and soft furnishings in the room were among the materials that may have helped the flames take hold, the inquest heard. The fire caused severe damage, destroying the roof, ceilings and stairs. Detective Inspector Louise Missen told the hearing that Tom became aware of an unusual warmth and smoky atmosphere when he got up to use the bathroom. He shouted to his wife to wake up and get the children, then made repeated attempts to reach them. He tried to break a bedroom window from outside and later attempted to get back into the house, but the intensity of the fire prevented him from entering. The inquest heard that Tom eventually entered a neighbour’s home to help her escape, acting to prevent further loss of life. The neighbour, June, had spent Christmas morning with the family. Senior coroner Katy Skerrett accepted that the fire probably began in the living room from an electrical ignition source and praised Tom’s “valiant” efforts to save his family.