Two men found guilty of Sharkey murders

Mr Sharkey's children died in the blaze at their home in Scott Court, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, on July 24 2011, while he died of his injuries in hospital six days later.

Snowden, 38, and Jennings, 50, were also convicted of attempting to murder Mr Sharkey's wife, Angela, 48, who survived the fire.

The pair denied the charges during an 11-week trial.

The prosecution claimed the two accused were "wickedly reckless" and had not cared whether their victims lived or died.

The Crown's case was that Snowden instructed or instigated the fire and expressed satisfaction at it having been carried out.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice, prosecuting, told the jury of the "terrible effects" of the blaze and Mr Sharkey's "desperate" attempts to get out.

Thomas Sharkey Jnr and his sister "succumbed pretty quickly" as a result of inhaling fire gases and smoke, he said.

"This was a fire set in the early hours of the morning with the introduction of petrol into the only door access and egress to the property, and no means of escape," he told them during his closing speech last week.

The case had a "background of involvement in drugs", the court heard.

There was evidence that Mr Sharkey Snr "intervened in connection with a debt" and that Snowden had a "hatred" of him, the jury was told.

Both men denied involvement, claiming prosecutors failed to produce a motive and that various witnesses lied when giving evidence.

But the jury, which began deliberating on Monday afternoon, convicted both of murder.

The jury of 10 women and five men took around eight-and-half hours to return its unanimous verdict on the charge of murder and attempted murder.

As the verdicts were read out, there were tears and cries of "yes" from Mrs Sharkey and her friends and family.

During the trial the jury was told that Jennings set the fatal fire in the early hours of the morning on the instructions of Snowden, who was in Mexico at the time.

The case was said to have a background of involvement in drugs and there was evidence that Snowden hated Mr Sharkey Snr, the jury heard.

Jennings was said to have acted as Snowden's hired hand to exact revenge when something annoyed him.

The two men carried out a "campaign of violence" in Helensburgh, Mr Prentice said.

Witness Lee McCarthy, 31, said Snowden told him he planned to get Mr Sharkey shot during a conversation in the pub and later, in the aftermath of the fatal fire, confided "it went wrong".

Mr McCarthy said Jennings told him that he set the Mariners pub in Helensburghon fire after Snowden told him: "You know what to do.''

Mr Sharkey planned to renovate and run the pub but it was burnt down weeks before it was due to open.

In his evidence, Simon Fraser, 47, said Snowden told him that Mr Sharkey Snr "got what he deserved'' in the fire and shrugged his shoulders when the children's deaths were mentioned.

After the verdict Mr Prentice reminded the court that today is the second anniversary of the fire.

Speaking of Mrs Sharkey, he said: "Mere words would simply be inadequate to express the deep sense of loss suffered by her and her family and friends of the family."

Judge Lord Matthews deferred sentence on Snowden and Jennings until tomorrow.

Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie said: "I hope this decision will offer some closure to Angela Sharkey.

"This was a truly terrible crime that resulted in the deaths of Mr Sharkey and his two children, Thomas Jnr and Bridget.

"This trial has demonstrated the determination of the local community to see justice done, with residents of Helensburgh coming forward with historical evidence to ensure that those responsible would be brought to justice for their actions.

"I would like to commend Police Scotland who have spent many hours investigating this case. Police officers in Helensburgh work hard to protect residents and visitors, and respond quickly to any information they receive regarding criminal activity in the town.

"I would encourage anyone with information about drugs in their area to contact their local police station or Crimestoppers where calls can be taken anonymously."

A statement from Angela Sharkey was released through Police Scotland.

"For almost two years my life, and the lives of many others affected by the tragic events in July 2011, have been on hold. We have all had to do our best to come to terms with the fact that we have lost three very special people in a horrific way," she said.

"Personally, knowing that the people responsible are being prevented from carrying out such a crime again will help. I still struggle to understand why they felt it necessary to do what they did to my innocent children but I will have to learn to live with that.

"I would like to thank my family, friends and work colleagues for their love and support which they have given me unconditionally since day one. I am sincerely grateful.

"I also want to thank the people who came forward and spoke to the police.

"I would also like to thank Mr McGovern and his team for their dedication to the case. For almost two years many of them have worked constantly on getting us where we are today. They too have families of their own and understood how important it was to get the right result.

"The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal staff have also worked incredibly hard.

"I sincerely appreciate all the hard work which all these people have put in.

"The emergency services who attended on that awful morning are often in my thoughts. Again, they too have their own families so I know it must have been very harrowing for them to have to remain professional and carry out their duties.

"I am forever in their debt for their efforts in trying to save us. The hospital staff who looked after us are very special people and without them, I would not be here at all.

"Finally I would ask that myself and my remaining family have our privacy respected as we try to rebuild our lives."

The deaths of Thomas Sharkey and his children shocked the community of Helensburgh where the family was well known.

Thomas Jnr, 21, won a golf scholarship to Georgia Southern University in the US after leaving Our Lady and Saint Patrick's High in Dumbarton in 2008.

At the time of his death he had just finished his second year studying accountancy and was due to return to the university for the new semester in August 2011.

Bridget attended St Joseph's Primary School in Helensburgh and was said to love dancing and going to the Brownies.

Speaking in the months after the fatal fire, Mrs Sharkey said she and her husband were "immensely proud" of their children.

She said she doted on Thomas Jnr, "the best son anyone could have", and described her daughter as "brilliant".

Mrs Sharkey also paid tribute to her husband, who was a "brilliant" father to their two children.

In a family statement, Valerie McFadyen, Mr Sharkey's sister, said golf was Thomas Jnr's life and all his family and friends aspired to be as good as he was.

"His smile lit up every room and he always found the best in everyone he met," she said.

"We always thought he would be famous for his golf and not for the tragic way he died.''

Mrs Sharkey's sister Margaret McKechnie said Bridget was a "bubbly, cheeky and extremely popular" girl who touched many hearts in her short life.

During the trial the jury heard that Mr Sharkey Snr was sentenced to four years in prison in the 1990s for drug offences.

In her evidence, Mrs Sharkey claimed he was "set up" by someone who arranged for cannabis plants to be delivered to their home moments before police arrived and seized the drugs.

When asked if she was aware that her late husband was a drug dealer she said that if he was, she had not known about it.

When he died, he was employed by an industrial cleaning company called Abbey Cleaning, she said.

Mrs Sharkey, who still lives in the Argyll town and works as a council clerical assistant, said her husband planned to renovate and run the Mariners pub but it was "burnt to the ground'' weeks before it was due to open.

The jury was told that the fire-setting at the Sharkey home might have "gone wrong".

Advocate depute Alex Prentice said in his closing speech to the jury: "It may be the intention here was to give a fright to Tommy Sharkey. No one would like to think that anyone would intend children to perish in a fire, but maybe that's what went wrong."