Man held for St James fire - no charges yet
published: Thursday | August 10, 2006

WESTERN BUREAU:

One man has been taken into custody for questioning by the Springmount police in St. James in connection with Monday night's fire in Springfield, which claimed the lives of three children and their father.

Forty-four-year-old Neville Bernard and his children Ricardo, Nick and Shanae, aged 10, eight and four respectively, perished in the night.

The children lived with their mother Lydia Clarke, 26, in an adjoining district but were holidaying with their father. They were scheduled to return to their mother's home on Sunday, but poor weather forced them to stay over with him.

Returned to save children

Reports are that at about 10:00 p.m. the Bernards were asleep at their home in Springfield when the father was awakened by unbearable heat. He escaped from the house but returned to save his children.

Yesterday Corporal Camille Tracey said that no charges had been laid against the man who was picked up on Tuesday. Although not indicating that he was a suspect in the matter, she confirmed that he had been detained.

Head of crime for the Area One Police Division, Superintendent Wilford Gayle, said: "We are not sure whether or not the fire was the work of arsonist but we are gathering all the necessary information as our investigations continue."