Mother and children 'died from exposure to fire'

A mother and her two children died from "exposure to the combustion products of fire" in a blaze on Boxing Day last year, a coroner's court heard.

Fionnghuala Mary Shearman, 38, known as Nu, was killed at home in Stroud, Gloucestershire, along with seven-year-old daughter Eve, and son Ohner, four.

Shearman's husband, serving police officer Tom Shearman, escaped and tried multiple times to re-enter to save his family, Gloucester Coroner's Court was told on the first day of the inquests.

Investigations into the cause of the blaze are ongoing but it is not being treated as suspicious.

Outlining the circumstances of the deaths, senior coroner Katy Skerrett told the court the fire service was contacted at about 03:12 GMT on 26 December, by a neighbour.

"It was established that only one of the four occupants had managed to escape the cottage alive, Tom Shearman," she said.

Skerrett continued: "When Tom had been spoken to by the police he explained that he and Fionnghuala were awoken by smoke during the night.

"He got out of bed and attempted to enter the children's bedroom, but the smoke and heat prevented him from doing so.

"He managed to exit the cottage by the bathroom window and then attempted to re-enter the house by the window, but once again, the fire prevented him from doing so."

A campaign page to support Tom Shearman has so far raised nearly £440,000.

The coroner adjourned all three inquests and did not set a further date.

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