Golf scholarship winner died with younger sister in house fire

Bridget Sharkey died along with 21-year-old Thomas in the blaze at the family home in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, early on Sunday.

Strathclyde Police opened a murder investigation and officers spent several more hours at the scene yesterday.

The siblings’ parents, Tommy, 55, and Angela, 46, are being treated in hospital for “serious burns” and were in a critical condition last night.

Parish priest Father Peter Lennon, of St Joseph’s Church in Helensburgh, said: “It is dreadful.

“The wee girl was an absolute gem, the boy I didn’t know as well because he was in America on this scholarship.

“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.”

He said he told his congregation on Sunday morning.

He said: “There was a deadly silence when I announced it. 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.”

Thomas Sharkey won a golf scholarship to Georgia Southern University in the United States, after leaving Our Lady and Saint 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.

Thomas also wrote that he would have liked to have witnessed Celtic winning the European Cup in 1967.

Emergency services were called to the fire at a property in Scott Court at about 5.10am on Sunday.

They found Thomas dead at the scene.

The rest of the family were taken by ambulance to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Renfrewshire.

Bridget died a short time later, while her father was later transferred to Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the town on the banks of the River Clyde.

Helensburgh Central councillor Al Reay said: “Everybody is very shocked, particularly given the fact a young girl has been killed, and a young boy.”