Man charged after young dad dies in Ayr fire

Nov 14 2008 by Lisa Boyle

TRAGIC

A DAD has died and another young man has been charged with murder after a blaze in an Ayr flat.

Shaun Keenan, 21, was killed when a fire broke out in the bedroom of his Mill Street home in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The cause of the fire remains a mystery, although it is believed that a firework was involved.

Jason McNally, 22, appeared in private at Ayr Sheriff Court on Monday morning charged with Shaun’s murder. The Prestwick man also faces a further charge of breach of the peace outside the flat.

He made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody.

Shaun, who worked as a roofer, lived in Coylton with his mum Eleanor and his brother Mark, 20, until he moved into his own flat a few weeks ago.

He had a young child with a former partner.

Within hours, floral tributes had been left in the stairway at the block of flats.

A member of Shaun’s family told the Post: “We are absolutely devastated and struggling to come to terms with our loss. We are all going to miss Shaun very much.”

Fire services responded to a report of a fire in the first floor flat at around 5am on Sunday morning.

Two fire engines attended and fire fighters managed to confine the blaze to the bedroom and extinguish the flames.

Despite the best efforts of the fire service and paramedics, Shaun died at the scene.

Councillor Bill Grant, whose ward takes in Mill Street, said: “These are such tragic circumstances.

“This was a needless loss of life and my thoughts are with Shaun’s family and friends at this horrible time.”