A PARAMEDIC told a triple murder trial that a dad pleaded with him to save his family from a fatal fire.

Brian Lamont told the High Court in Glasgow that when he arrived a the scene of the fire which claimed three members of the Sharkey family that dad Thomas was already receiving treatment in an ambulance.

Mr Lamont said: "He was continually repeating his family were trapped and saying get them out."

The court heard that Thomas Sharkey junior was brought out next. He was declared dead at the scene.

Mr Lamont was giving evidence at the trial of Scott Snowden, 37, and Robert Jennings, 50, who deny murdering Mr Sharkey, 55, his son 21-year-old Thomas junior and his eight-year-old daughter Bridget at their home at 2 Scott Court, Helensburgh, Argyll, on July 24, 2011.

He said Mrs Sharkey was brought out next and taken by ambulance to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley unconscious.

The last person to be brought out was Bridget.

Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC asked him: "Did she show any signs of life?" Mr Lamont replied: "No."

Earlier, the partner of Jennings said she was told by him to keep her mouth shut when interviewed by police.

Karen Gairns, 31, told the jury she has been Jennings' partner for 11 years and has children by him, although they do not live together.

She was then shown a police statement taken in August 2011 in which she told officers that Jennings said to her: 'Keep your mouth shut.'

Mr Prentice asked: "Is that true?" And she replied: "Yes."

Miss Gairns told the court that Jennings was with her at her home in Kirkmichael, Helensburgh, until around 2.30am on the morning of the fatal fire.

The trial before Lord Matthews continues.