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| Mick and Mairead Philpott convicted of manslaughter over Derby house fire | Mick and Mairead Philpott convicted of manslaughter over Derby house fire |
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| The parents accused of killing six children in a house fire have been convicted of their manslaughter. | The parents accused of killing six children in a house fire have been convicted of their manslaughter. |
| Mick Philpott, 56, was found guilty by a jury at Nottingham crown court of setting the blaze at his home in Derby which took the lives of Jayden, five, Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and 13-year-old Duwayne. | Mick Philpott, 56, was found guilty by a jury at Nottingham crown court of setting the blaze at his home in Derby which took the lives of Jayden, five, Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and 13-year-old Duwayne. |
| Philpott – a father of 17 children – was the prime organiser in setting a fire in the hall of his council house in Derby in a twisted plan to frame his ex-girlfriend after she left him, taking their children with her. | Philpott – a father of 17 children – was the prime organiser in setting a fire in the hall of his council house in Derby in a twisted plan to frame his ex-girlfriend after she left him, taking their children with her. |
| His wife, Mairead Philpott, and his friend Paul Mosley were both also found guilty of manslaughter of the children. | His wife, Mairead Philpott, and his friend Paul Mosley were both also found guilty of manslaughter of the children. |
| Days after their death Philpott gave a tearful press conference, where he acted like an "excited child" rather than a grief stricken parent, raising police suspicions. | Days after their death Philpott gave a tearful press conference, where he acted like an "excited child" rather than a grief stricken parent, raising police suspicions. |
| Police branded Philpott as "stupid" and "shameful" with one police chief saying it was the saddest and most tragic case he has dealt with in three decades of policing. | Police branded Philpott as "stupid" and "shameful" with one police chief saying it was the saddest and most tragic case he has dealt with in three decades of policing. |
| Philpott was a violent man who was controlling of women. | Philpott was a violent man who was controlling of women. |
| In the aftermath of the fire on 11 May last year, detectives put Philpott, Mairead and Mosley up in a hotel room which was bugged. The trio were overheard checking their stories with each other. Mairead Philpott was also overheard performing a sex act on Mosley, which the Crown said was carried out to keep him on side as part of the plot. | In the aftermath of the fire on 11 May last year, detectives put Philpott, Mairead and Mosley up in a hotel room which was bugged. The trio were overheard checking their stories with each other. Mairead Philpott was also overheard performing a sex act on Mosley, which the Crown said was carried out to keep him on side as part of the plot. |
| The Crown alleged the fire was started with Philpott as the prime organiser in a plan to frame his former lover, Lisa Willis, who had walked out with their four children three months earlier. | The Crown alleged the fire was started with Philpott as the prime organiser in a plan to frame his former lover, Lisa Willis, who had walked out with their four children three months earlier. |
| Philpott had lived in the property with Willis and Mairead, who was the mother of the six children who were killed. He had sexual relationships with both women, alternating between the two. But Willis – who said she was kept a virtual prisoner by Philpott – walked out on him, taking her five children with her in February last year. She had once child from a previous relationship. | Philpott had lived in the property with Willis and Mairead, who was the mother of the six children who were killed. He had sexual relationships with both women, alternating between the two. But Willis – who said she was kept a virtual prisoner by Philpott – walked out on him, taking her five children with her in February last year. She had once child from a previous relationship. |
| The fire at the council house in Victory Road took place hours before Philpott was due to face Willis in court for a custody hearing. The jury heard how Philpott had spread rumours after Willis left that she wanted to firebomb the house, all part of his attempt to frame her for the fire. | The fire at the council house in Victory Road took place hours before Philpott was due to face Willis in court for a custody hearing. The jury heard how Philpott had spread rumours after Willis left that she wanted to firebomb the house, all part of his attempt to frame her for the fire. |
| The plan was for Philpott to rescue his children and for Willis to be prosecuted for arson, the court heard. But it went horribly wrong when the blaze took hold fast. The adults escaped the house but the six children died as they slept. | The plan was for Philpott to rescue his children and for Willis to be prosecuted for arson, the court heard. But it went horribly wrong when the blaze took hold fast. The adults escaped the house but the six children died as they slept. |
| After the verdicts, in a highly unusual move, the families of the Philpotts said they were happy with the guilty verdicts that left Mick and Mairead Philpott facing lenghty jail terms when they are sentenced on Wednesday. | After the verdicts, in a highly unusual move, the families of the Philpotts said they were happy with the guilty verdicts that left Mick and Mairead Philpott facing lenghty jail terms when they are sentenced on Wednesday. |
| Philpott's sister Dawn Bestwick, said: "My family and I have attended court each and every day and listened objectively to all the evidence in this trial to understand what happened to our six beautiful children on 11 May 2012. Our presence in court was to find out the truth. | Philpott's sister Dawn Bestwick, said: "My family and I have attended court each and every day and listened objectively to all the evidence in this trial to understand what happened to our six beautiful children on 11 May 2012. Our presence in court was to find out the truth. |
| "Following today's verdict, we the family of Michael Philpott, believe justice has been served." | "Following today's verdict, we the family of Michael Philpott, believe justice has been served." |
| Mairead Philpott's family, the Duffy family, said in a statement: "[The children] were taken away in the cruellest way imaginable by the very people who were supposed to love and protect them. We, Mairead's family, cannot describe the pain we feel. Today, justice has been served and we are happy with the verdict." | Mairead Philpott's family, the Duffy family, said in a statement: "[The children] were taken away in the cruellest way imaginable by the very people who were supposed to love and protect them. We, Mairead's family, cannot describe the pain we feel. Today, justice has been served and we are happy with the verdict." |
| Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cotterill, of Derbyshire police, said days after the fire Philpott's behaviour at a press conference that he had chosen to give, increased police suspicions. | Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cotterill, of Derbyshire police, said days after the fire Philpott's behaviour at a press conference that he had chosen to give, increased police suspicions. |
| Cotterill said: "After 30 years of doing what I do I have never seen anybody having suffered that magnitude of loss deal with it in the manner in which he dealt with it. I would have expected him to be completely and utterly destroyed, and if push came to shove not able to present himself at the press conference. | Cotterill said: "After 30 years of doing what I do I have never seen anybody having suffered that magnitude of loss deal with it in the manner in which he dealt with it. I would have expected him to be completely and utterly destroyed, and if push came to shove not able to present himself at the press conference. |
| "He entered the room in quite a jovial manner as though it was a bit like an excited child, really inappropriate in my view. | "He entered the room in quite a jovial manner as though it was a bit like an excited child, really inappropriate in my view. |
| "He was the father of five children, in essence six children, who had died in his house. I didn't see it as anything to be excited about. If anything he should be rather fearful of the experience and wary of it. I didn't see a great deal of emotion and upset." | "He was the father of five children, in essence six children, who had died in his house. I didn't see it as anything to be excited about. If anything he should be rather fearful of the experience and wary of it. I didn't see a great deal of emotion and upset." |
| Cotterill added: "This was an evil, stupid, shameful act which has resulted in the death of five of his own children. Personally I've found it very upsetting. I've become extremely angry at the needless loss of life. | Cotterill added: "This was an evil, stupid, shameful act which has resulted in the death of five of his own children. Personally I've found it very upsetting. I've become extremely angry at the needless loss of life. |
| "Six little kids there that have not got the chance to grow up. Five vacant chairs on the Monday morning at that primary school must have been horrendous, not only for the teaching staff but for all the other little kids there as well." | "Six little kids there that have not got the chance to grow up. Five vacant chairs on the Monday morning at that primary school must have been horrendous, not only for the teaching staff but for all the other little kids there as well." |
| The jury were never told that Philpott had a previous conviction for trying to kill a girlfriend after she tried to leave him. In 1978, Philpott crept into Kim Hill's home after she wrote him a letter ending their relationship. Hill, who was 17 at the time, was in bed when he attacked her, knifing her more than a dozen times, before turning on her mother, Shirley, a nurse. | The jury were never told that Philpott had a previous conviction for trying to kill a girlfriend after she tried to leave him. In 1978, Philpott crept into Kim Hill's home after she wrote him a letter ending their relationship. Hill, who was 17 at the time, was in bed when he attacked her, knifing her more than a dozen times, before turning on her mother, Shirley, a nurse. |
| Philpott, aged 21 at the time of the attack, was convicted of the attempted murder of Hill and of grievous bodily harm in relation to her mother at Nottingham crown court in December 1978. Mr Justice Pain, who jailed him for seven years, said Philpott was a dangerous young man. Once out of prison, he again proved the judge right, using his reputation to further control and subdue the women he met.Derby city council said a serious case review was being held into social services engagement with the family. From 2000 – 2012 there was no social services involvement with the family despite the unconventional setup, in which Philpott was living and having sexual relationships with two women – his wife, Mairead, and girlfriend Lisa Willis. He had 11 children with the two women and at one point both were pregnant at the same time. | Philpott, aged 21 at the time of the attack, was convicted of the attempted murder of Hill and of grievous bodily harm in relation to her mother at Nottingham crown court in December 1978. Mr Justice Pain, who jailed him for seven years, said Philpott was a dangerous young man. Once out of prison, he again proved the judge right, using his reputation to further control and subdue the women he met.Derby city council said a serious case review was being held into social services engagement with the family. From 2000 – 2012 there was no social services involvement with the family despite the unconventional setup, in which Philpott was living and having sexual relationships with two women – his wife, Mairead, and girlfriend Lisa Willis. He had 11 children with the two women and at one point both were pregnant at the same time. |
| Philpott abused the goodwill of the community in Allenton, who raised more than £15,000 to pay for funerals for all six children. Philpott demanded that any money left over should be given to his family in Argos vouchers. In pre-trial hearings, it was revealed that Philpott showed a callous disregard for the community fundraisers – and even demanded that hundreds of teddy bears left outside the burnt-out house should be auctioned off and the money given to him. He told one organiser: "Shut up and just get on with it." | Philpott abused the goodwill of the community in Allenton, who raised more than £15,000 to pay for funerals for all six children. Philpott demanded that any money left over should be given to his family in Argos vouchers. In pre-trial hearings, it was revealed that Philpott showed a callous disregard for the community fundraisers – and even demanded that hundreds of teddy bears left outside the burnt-out house should be auctioned off and the money given to him. He told one organiser: "Shut up and just get on with it." |
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