PRESS ASSOCIATION -- A woman left critically ill in hospital after a deliberate flat fire remains unaware that her husband and two children have died, police have said.
Police revealed that 46-year-old Angela Sharkey's husband, Thomas Sharkey, 55, died in hospital on Saturday morning.
It follows the death of the couple's children, eight-year-old Bridget and Thomas, 21, after the blaze at their home in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, in the early hours of last Sunday. Mr Sharkey was told of his children's deaths on Tuesday.
Strathclyde Police, who launched a murder investigation, have called on members of the local community to help them catch the triple killer who remains at large.
Announcing that Mr Sharkey had died at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Chief Inspector Fergus Byrne said: "This is yet another devastating and heart-breaking blow for Mrs Sharkey, who at this time remains critically ill in hospital, unaware of the tragic loss
of now her husband and children, Thomas and Bridget.
"The wider family and community will be horrified at the death of Tommy who was so well known throughout the town."
Mr Byrne said the community was "angry and fearful" and stressed that extra police officers would be deployed to the Helensburgh area for the foreseeable future.
He added: "We do however need to convert that anger into something positive and people who have information about this dreadful crime need to start talking directly to us and giving us the evidence we need to get justice for the family."
Emergency services were called to the fire at the flat in Scott Court at around 5.10am last Sunday. The blaze broke out in the living room and quickly spread. Police said the building had just one door and the family had been trapped.
Mr Sharkey had been seen hanging out of the window and shouting for help. His son was found dead at the scene. The rest of the family were taken by ambulance to Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Renfrewshire, where Bridget died a short time later.