WHEN Scott Peden said goodnight to his wife and kids on June 30 he never imagined it would be the last time he would see them.
But sadly it was after they died in a horrific house fire, thought to have been caused by a faulty e-bike battery.
Scott bought a second-hand battery after his own was stolen, and he needed his bike to get to work.
But two days after purchase, it exploded with such ferocity that it destroyed his home and killed his partner, Gemma Germeney, 31, and their two young children, Lilly, eight and Oliver, four.
The family’s two dogs were also killed.
Scott miraculously pulled through after four weeks in a coma and is now trying to rebuild his life – and warn others of the dangers of second-hand lithium batteries.
Father's warning
Scott, 30, from Cambridge, says: “There needs to be stricter regulations over the resale of batteries, they should be checked and certified.
“We had smoke alarms, but because it was a lithium battery, we didn’t stand a chance.
“I lost everything in the fire, and I have to start all over again. The only positive to come from this is me making sure it does not happen to anyone else.”
Scott and his partner, Gemma, met at college in Cambridge as teenagers and moved in together 10 years ago.
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They had two children, Lilly and Oliver, who were aged eight and four when they died.
The family also had a greyhound-boxer cross, named Bitsy, and a Dalmatian called Rolo.
Scott says: “We were a happy family, Gemma was very maternal and loved being a mum. She was also very artistic. She loved drawing, puzzles and colouring.
“She had a dream of being a baker and, with Oliver due to start school, she was looking at returning to work.
“I worked full time at Marks and Spencer, but with a young family, money was tight.”
Easy error
To help out, Scott’s mum, Glenda Hanson, bought him an e-bike early in 2022, which he used to travel to work.
He says: “The e-bike was brilliant. I did shift work, so couldn’t rely on the buses, and it was too far to walk.”
But in June this year, after he had nipped out to buy dog food, his battery was stolen from outside a local shop.
Faced with no way of getting to work, Scott ordered a second-hand replacement on eBay.
He says: “A new battery cost £600, so when I found one on eBay for £300, I thought it was a bargain.”
Scott left the battery to charge downstairs, in the hallway.
The house was ablaze, and I collapsed sobbing onto the children’s trampoline behind me
But on the second night, he and Gemma were woken at 12.45am by a huge bang, Scott ran to investigate and saw the entire staircase was in flames.
He says: “The bang was like a bomb going off. The stairs were engulfed in flames; the walls, the bannister, the whole lot was alight. I knew we had no chance of making it downstairs.
“I tried screaming for help out of the window, but nobody came and so I jumped out, into the back garden, breaking my heel as I landed.
“I got in through the back door and realised immediately the e-bike was the source. I tried to throw the battery outside, but the door was so hot, it burned my hands, and then the key melted.
“The fire was spreading, and I was choking, and I realised there was no way through.
“I ran back out to the garden, hoping to persuade Gemma and the children to jump. I heard Gemma shout: ‘I can’t get out,’ and then there was nothing.
“The house was ablaze, and I collapsed sobbing onto the children’s trampoline behind me.
“I was aware of someone patting me down and realised I was on fire.”
Dad's devastation
Neighbours called for help and stayed with Scott until firefighters and paramedics arrived. Scott saw Lilly’s body carried out of the house and passed out with the trauma.
He was placed in a coma for four weeks, and treated at Broomfield Hospital, a specialist burns unit, in Chelmsford.
Glenda, 65, flew back from a holiday to be at his bedside.
She says: “I didn’t even recognise him at first.
“He was heavily bandaged, and his face was very swollen and blackened with burns. I was told it was touch and go.
“The lithium battery fumes, which are toxic, had got into his lungs and caused severe damage.”
Over the coming weeks, Scott survived several brushes with death, including three bouts of pneumonia, a cardiac arrest and an infection.
When he awoke, he remembered all the details of the fire – but did not know if his family had survived.
We had so much to look forward to, and I am dreading this new life, on my own
Glenda says: “That was the worst thing, having to tell him that they didn’t make it.”
At a joint funeral, Scott played Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ which was his and Gemma’s song. Their ashes are all buried together.
Scott says: “I still can’t process what’s happened. I lost my entire family, everything, in a matter of minutes.
“We had so much to look forward to, and I am dreading this new life, on my own. I don’t even have photos to remember them by, everything I owned was destroyed.”
Four months on, Scott is home from hospital but is in a wheelchair, due to complications with his fractured heel.
He hopes to return to his work at Marks and Spencer, but for now is being cared for by his family.
He says: “I am speaking out to warn other families of the dangers of buying second hand batteries. There should be greater regulation, especially where lithium batteries are concerned.
“I thought I was saving money, which is something all young families try to do. I would never have had the battery in my home if I’d known there was a risk.”
Cambridgeshire Fire Service has written to the coroner requesting they push for better regulation of online sales of e-bike batteries.
So far, the coroner said the matter was still subject to investigation.
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