Scottish Catholic Observer

PARISHIONERS of St Joseph’s Church in Helensburgh were in mourning this week after the murder of two young parishioners in a fire started at their home.

Thomas Sharkey, 21, died in the blaze at his family home in Scott Court at about 5am on Sunday. His sister Bridget, 8, died later in hospital. Their parents Angela, 46, and Thomas, 55, both survived the fire and are in a critical but stable condition as the SCO went to press.

Parish in morning

Parish priest Fr Peter Lennon broke the news to parishioners at the Mass on Sunday morning.

“There was a deadly silence when I announced it,” he said later. “Most of them knew there had been a fire and most of them knew who had been involved, but to hear of the deaths was devastating. There was just silence.”

Fr Lennon, who said the community had been shocked by the fire, spoke of the young victims.

“The wee girl was an absolute gem, the boy I didn’t know as well because he was in America on this scholarship,” he said. “She made her First Communion in May. She was like the other girls, when they were out playing she always had good fun. I didn’t know the parents very well, but they came to Church and were a good family. I have spoken to their relatives. They are just shocked.”

Victims

Ann Chalmers, headteacher of St Joseph’s primary school in Helensburgh where Bridget was a pupil, said: “We are devastated. She was a beautiful child, very talented, a lovely singer, dancer and artist.”

Thomas Sharkey won a golf scholarship to Georgia Southern University in the US, after leaving Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School in Dumbarton in 2008.

In his biography on the Georgia Southern Eagles website, he described himself as ‘ambitious and competitive,’ adding that his grandfather and father were the biggest influence on his athletics career for teaching him golf. He also said he would have liked to have witnessed Celtic winning the European Cup in 1967.

Murder inquiry

Strathclyde Police are treating the deaths as murder. In addition the charity Crimestoppers has put up a £10,000 reward for information leading to the identity of the culprit behind the blaze.

Detective Chief Inspector Anne McKerchar, the officer in charge of the investigation, held a news conference on Monday to appeal for help. She said she had been ‘greatly encouraged by the response so far’ from members of the public but believed ‘the answer lies within the local community.’

She appealed for anyone with information that may help the inquiry to come forward, in particular anyone who was in the James Street, West Princes Street or West Clyde Street areas of Helensburgh at about 5am on Sunday, and who may have seen anything suspicious.

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