Man accused of Sharkey murders was on holiday at time of fatal fire One of the men accused of murdering three members of the Sharkey family was in Mexico when the fatal fire took place, a court was told. The High Court in Glasgow heard Scott Snowden was on a two-week holiday with his wife Gillian when Tommy Sharkey, senior, his son Thomas Sharkey junior and his daughter Bridget were killed in the blaze. The fire occurred at the family home in Helensburgh's Scott Court, around 5pm on July 24, 2011. Snowden and his wife returned to Glasgow Airport the following day at 6am. The defence case for Snowden opened with a joint minute of agreed facts being read to the jury by junior Oewn Mullan. They jurors heard that Snowden was not in the Helensburgh area when four fires - including the fatal fire - took place and that he was at work miles away when a man was slashed. When the Mariner's pub, which was owned by Tommy Sharkey senior, went on fire on April 19, 2010 Snowden was staying at the Airth Castle Hotel with his wife. And he was staying at Glasgow's Hilton Hotel on June 19, 2009 when the Garth Inn in Helensburgh, went on fire, and at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Liverpool on September 6, 2009, when a house in Rhu called the Steeple was set on fire. The court was also told that when 58-year-old Richard McKinney, was slashed in the driveway of his home in Luss Road, Alexandria, on January 20, 2010, Snowden was working at Rhu Marina. Witness David Prophet, 27, from Helensburgh, told Donald Findlay QC, defending, that Snowden, who is a friend of his, and Lee McCarthy were in his home just weeks after the fatal fire. He was asked if Mr Hughes said anything and replied: "He said he had set a fire at a house in Rhu for Mr Snowden." Mr Findlay asked: "What was Mr Snowden's reaction," and Mr Prophet replied: "Mr Snowden was pissed off." Asked by the QC if Snowden had ever mentioned having a problem with Tommy Sharkey senior or holding a grudge against him, Mr Prophet said: "He never mentioned any problem with Tommy at all." Scott Snowden, 37, and Robert Jennings, 50, deny murder and the trial before Lord Matthews continues.