Inquest establishes likely cause of fire that killed a mother and her two children in Gloucestershire

A coroner's inquest in Gloucestershire concluded that the fire on 26 December, in which 38-year-old Fionnghuala Shearman and her children died, most likely started in the living room due to electrical appliances plugged into the mains. The deaths of all three were recorded as accidental.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 9 November 2026 at 22:062 min read

The key facts

The fire in Bream on 26 December killed Fionnghuala Shearman, her seven-year-old daughter Eve and four-year-old son Ohner
The inquest considers ignition from electrical appliances plugged into the mains in the living room the likely cause
The coroner recorded the deaths of all three as accidental; the husband, a police officer, was unable to save his family

Findings of the investigation

The fire that broke out in the early hours of 26 December last year at a house in Bream, Gloucestershire, most likely started in the living room due to electrical appliances plugged into the mains. This was reported by BBC News citing the coroner's inquest held on Monday at Gloucestershire Coroner's Court. The victims were 38-year-old Fionnghuala Mary Shearman, known as Nuala, her seven-year-old daughter Eve and four-year-old son Ohner.

Chronology of the tragedy

Emergency services were called at 03:12 GMT; according to LeRoy Hughes of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, by the time they arrived the house was 'well alight'. The victim's husband, serving police officer Tom Shearman, told the court that shortly after 03:00, having got up in the night to use the toilet, he noticed 'unusual heat and smoke'. He tried to wake his family and then, from outside, beat and kicked at a window, but was unable to reach his loved ones. He then broke into the neighbouring house to help June, who lived there, escape and 'prevent further casualties': according to the inquest, the neighbour had spent Christmas Day itself with the family over coffee and cake.

Deaths recorded as accidental

Senior coroner Katy Skerrett noted Shearman's 'valiant' attempts to save his family and said she had accepted the account that the fire began in the living room 'from an electrical source of ignition'. The cause of death for all three was given as 'the effects of the products of combustion'; the deaths were recorded as accidental. The coroner described what happened as 'an absolute tragedy with the most devastating consequences for this loving young family'. The fire destroyed the roof, ceilings and staircase, while soft furnishings and the Christmas tree, according to the fire service's assessment, probably fuelled the flames. Earlier, according to the BBC, Shearman wrote in an appeal on GoFundMe that 'the heart and essence of the family had been ripped away in the cruellest way', and thanked friends and neighbours for their help with accommodation, clothing and support.