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| Mick Philpott tells court he did not start fire that killed six of his children | Mick Philpott tells court he did not start fire that killed six of his children |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A man accused of killing six of his children in a house fire has told a court he did not start the blaze but that he has his suspicions about who did. | A man accused of killing six of his children in a house fire has told a court he did not start the blaze but that he has his suspicions about who did. |
| Mick Philpott, 56, denied any involvement in starting the fire at his home in Victory Road, Allenton, Derby, in the early hours of 11 May last year. | Mick Philpott, 56, denied any involvement in starting the fire at his home in Victory Road, Allenton, Derby, in the early hours of 11 May last year. |
| Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five, died during the blaze. Their brother Duwayne, 13, was taken to Derby royal hospital and transferred to Birmingham children's hospital but died three days later. | Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five, died during the blaze. Their brother Duwayne, 13, was taken to Derby royal hospital and transferred to Birmingham children's hospital but died three days later. |
| Standing in the witness box in front of a packed gallery at the start of his defence case at Nottingham crown court, Philpott said he had nothing to do with the blaze. | Standing in the witness box in front of a packed gallery at the start of his defence case at Nottingham crown court, Philpott said he had nothing to do with the blaze. |
| Anthony Orchard QC, defending Philpott, asked him: "Did you set the fire?" | Anthony Orchard QC, defending Philpott, asked him: "Did you set the fire?" |
| "No," Philpott replied. | "No," Philpott replied. |
| "Are you connected to the setting of the fire?" | "Are you connected to the setting of the fire?" |
| "No." | "No." |
| Orchard asked: "Do you know who did?" | Orchard asked: "Do you know who did?" |
| "No." | "No." |
| "Do you have your suspicions?" | "Do you have your suspicions?" |
| "I do," Philpott answered. | "I do," Philpott answered. |
| Philpott, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and purple tie, wiped away tears as he answered questions. | Philpott, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and purple tie, wiped away tears as he answered questions. |
| Philpott, his 31-year-old wife, Mairead, and a third defendant, 46-year-old Paul Mosley, all deny six separate counts of manslaughter. | Philpott, his 31-year-old wife, Mairead, and a third defendant, 46-year-old Paul Mosley, all deny six separate counts of manslaughter. |
| Philpott told the court he regretted appearing on TV's Jeremy Kyle Show with his family. | Philpott told the court he regretted appearing on TV's Jeremy Kyle Show with his family. |
| Anthony Orchard QC asked him: "Why did you decide to do it?" | Anthony Orchard QC asked him: "Why did you decide to do it?" |
| Philpott replied: "We all decided. At that time we needed a bigger house." | Philpott replied: "We all decided. At that time we needed a bigger house." |
| The court heard that the children were bullied following their appearance on the programme. | The court heard that the children were bullied following their appearance on the programme. |
| "They [people] called them brats, scum of the earth," Philpott said. | "They [people] called them brats, scum of the earth," Philpott said. |
| He told the court that he and his children received death threats following the programme. | He told the court that he and his children received death threats following the programme. |
| Orchard asked: "Was it a good time for the family?" | Orchard asked: "Was it a good time for the family?" |
| "No," Philpott replied. | "No," Philpott replied. |
| He was asked about claims that the fire was set last year because the family wanted a bigger house. | He was asked about claims that the fire was set last year because the family wanted a bigger house. |
| Philpott told the court: "The house was quite sufficient." | Philpott told the court: "The house was quite sufficient." |
| He said his wife was the sole carer for the children while he would play snooker and darts with them and help them with their schoolwork. | He said his wife was the sole carer for the children while he would play snooker and darts with them and help them with their schoolwork. |
| During the trial, which started last month, jurors heard Philpott shared the family home with his wife and their six children, all of whom died in the fire, and also with his live-in mistress, Lisa Willis. | During the trial, which started last month, jurors heard Philpott shared the family home with his wife and their six children, all of whom died in the fire, and also with his live-in mistress, Lisa Willis. |
| Miss Willis, 29, lived in the property with her five children, four of whom were fathered by Philpott, until finally walking out with the youngsters in February last year. | Miss Willis, 29, lived in the property with her five children, four of whom were fathered by Philpott, until finally walking out with the youngsters in February last year. |
| Philpott told the court he had no clue beforehand that Willis was going to leave. Asked about their relationship, he said: "At that particular time I thought that me and Lisa had this bond that was inseparable." | Philpott told the court he had no clue beforehand that Willis was going to leave. Asked about their relationship, he said: "At that particular time I thought that me and Lisa had this bond that was inseparable." |
| He had discussed it with his wife because she was "concerned" about it, he said. | He had discussed it with his wife because she was "concerned" about it, he said. |
| Orchard asked him: "How were you treating Lisa?" | Orchard asked him: "How were you treating Lisa?" |
| Philpott replied: "I treated her like a queen." | Philpott replied: "I treated her like a queen." |
| He told the court that he was spending a lot of time with his wife and slept in the evenings with Willis. | He told the court that he was spending a lot of time with his wife and slept in the evenings with Willis. |
| Orchard asked him about openly discussing his desire to divorce his wife and marry Willis. | Orchard asked him about openly discussing his desire to divorce his wife and marry Willis. |
| "What was Mairead's reaction to that?" Orchard asked. | "What was Mairead's reaction to that?" Orchard asked. |
| "She had no reaction, that was the problem," Philpott replied. | "She had no reaction, that was the problem," Philpott replied. |
| "Mairead, was she going to leave?" | "Mairead, was she going to leave?" |
| "No, Mairead was not leaving. She was not going anywhere," Philpott said. | "No, Mairead was not leaving. She was not going anywhere," Philpott said. |
| "Mairead will always be my wife, even if we got divorced." | "Mairead will always be my wife, even if we got divorced." |
| The court heard that Philpott has asked his wife for a divorce three or four times over a period of years. | The court heard that Philpott has asked his wife for a divorce three or four times over a period of years. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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