Inquest into death of mother who died with children in boxing day fire
An inquest is due to be opened into the death of a mother who died alongside her two young children in a house fire on Boxing Day.
Last updated 12th Jan 2026
Fionnghuala “Nu” Shearman, 38, and her children Eve, seven, and four-year-old Ohner, were killed when a blaze tore through their home in Brimscombe, near Stroud in Gloucestershire.
Mrs Shearman’s husband, police officer Tom Shearman, tried desperately to reach his family but was driven back by the intensity of the flames.
Emergency services were called to the mid-terrace Cotswold stone cottage on Brimscombe Hill at around 3am. The couple had been woken by the fire and attempted to get to their children, who were sleeping in a rear bedroom.
Mr Shearman broke a bathroom window in an effort to reach the children’s room from outside, but was unable to get to them. The ferocity of the blaze meant he could not re-enter the property through the bathroom window and was also unable to force open doors on the ground floor.
Police believe the fire began on the ground floor of the house. Investigations are continuing to determine the exact cause, but officers have confirmed that the incident is not being treated as suspicious.
The blaze caused extensive destruction, ripping through the roof, ceilings and staircase and leaving significant internal damage throughout the home.
An inquest into Mrs Shearman’s death is scheduled to open at Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court on Monday.