TWO men who murdered three members of a family in a house fire have been jailed for a total of 62 years, as a police review into whether the tragedy could have been prevented began.
Scott Snowden and Robert Jennings will be unable to apply for parole from their life sentences for killing most of the Sharkey family until they have served 33 years and 29 years each. The sentences – the joint longest in Scotland – were handed down at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday.
Lord Matthews described their crime as the most appalling he had ever come across.
Meanwhile, Police Scotland confirmed an internal review into police procedures during investigations into a series of earlier fires started by 38-year-old Snowden would lead to appropriate action being taken.
Police admitted some of the five blazes started by Snowden between 2008 and 2011 may not have been investigated properly. The fires took place before Snowden persuaded Jennings, 50, to murder Thomas Sharkey senior, his son Thomas junior, 21, and eight-year-old Bridget by pouring petrol through their letterbox and setting it alight. Mr Sharkey's wife Angela, 48, was badly hurt, but survived.
The killers received £90,000 in Legal Aid during their 11-week trial.
Jennings, who was represented by Ian Duguid, QC, was given £63,686 while Snowden, whose defence was carried out by Donald Findlay, QC, has legal costs of £25,450. The final figures will almost certainly be higher once the final accounts are submitted.
Meanwhile, a man who gave evidence against the killers after Jennings slashed his face in the street has described the impact it had on his life.
Richard McKinney, 58, was attacked on the orders of Snowden after complaining about his timekeeping at Rhu Marina where he worked. He said: "Justice has been done."
He added: "Strangers approaching me send me into a panic, even though they don't intend to harm me. At my house I had to install additional security measures – despite that I still don't feel safe."
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