A grieving dad is warning Christmas shoppers not to buy second hand e-batteries after his whole family died in a horrific house fire. Scott Peden purchased a second-hand battery for his e-bike to save money after his previous one was stolen, and needed his bicycle to get to work. But just two days after he bought it the battery exploded - killing his partner, Gemma Germeney, 31, and their two young children, Lilly, eight and Oliver, four. The family’s two dogs also died. Scott miraculously pulled through after four weeks in a coma and is now trying to rebuild his life, while warning others of the dangers of second-hand lithium batteries.
The festive season will also mark two years since his sister, Stephanie, was murdered. Scott, 31, from Cambridge, said: “I grieve every day for the family I have lost, but this time of year is especially tough because Gemma and the children had birthdays, and my sister was murdered over New Year.
"At Christmas, when people are buying e-bikes as gifts, I am pleading with people not to buy second hand batteries. 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. Gemma should have celebrated her birthday on December 14, Oliver should be 6 on December 23. Lily should be turning 9 in January.
