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| Mick Philpott: the violent control freak who treated women as his slaves | Mick Philpott: the violent control freak who treated women as his slaves |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Mick Philpott was the perfect tabloid villain. A father of 17 children, he lived with two women and once appeared on The Jeremy Kyle Show to demand a bigger council house for his brood. | Mick Philpott was the perfect tabloid villain. A father of 17 children, he lived with two women and once appeared on The Jeremy Kyle Show to demand a bigger council house for his brood. |
| But away from the cartoon cutout of a benefit scrounger, the story of Philpott exposes a far more dangerous stereotype, that of a control freak whose domestic violence went unchecked for more than three decades. | But away from the cartoon cutout of a benefit scrounger, the story of Philpott exposes a far more dangerous stereotype, that of a control freak whose domestic violence went unchecked for more than three decades. |
| Women to Philpott were slaves and sexual chattels, to be used for sex and to prove his virility by having his children. | Women to Philpott were slaves and sexual chattels, to be used for sex and to prove his virility by having his children. |
| When they challenged him, or failed to live up to his expectations, he attacked, on one occasion lashing out when a girlfriend produced a boy instead of a girl. | When they challenged him, or failed to live up to his expectations, he attacked, on one occasion lashing out when a girlfriend produced a boy instead of a girl. |
| Key details of Philpott's extreme violence and controlling behaviour were kept from the jury. For more than 35 years Philpott vented his anger on a string of often damaged, vulnerable ygirlfriends, many of whom he met when they were in their early teens. Each spoke of his possessiveness, his control, his abuse, and how they would do anything to keep peace with him. | Key details of Philpott's extreme violence and controlling behaviour were kept from the jury. For more than 35 years Philpott vented his anger on a string of often damaged, vulnerable ygirlfriends, many of whom he met when they were in their early teens. Each spoke of his possessiveness, his control, his abuse, and how they would do anything to keep peace with him. |
| While the women went out to work, their money and benefits were paid into Philpott's account. They were not given keys to the property and had to ask permission to leave. | While the women went out to work, their money and benefits were paid into Philpott's account. They were not given keys to the property and had to ask permission to leave. |
| "He is a person who controls, manipulates and, when that does not work, he resorts to threats and violence and actions no reasonable person would undertake," James House, prosecuting, told Nottingham crown court. | "He is a person who controls, manipulates and, when that does not work, he resorts to threats and violence and actions no reasonable person would undertake," James House, prosecuting, told Nottingham crown court. |
| The pattern, which repeated itself over decades, began when he was in his early 20s. The jury was never told that Philpott had tried to kill one of his girlfriends when she tried to leave him. At 21, he went absent without leave from the army to creep into Kim Hill's home in July 1978 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 pattern, which repeated itself over decades, began when he was in his early 20s. The jury was never told that Philpott had tried to kill one of his girlfriends when she tried to leave him. At 21, he went absent without leave from the army to creep into Kim Hill's home in July 1978 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 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. | Philpott 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. |
| Judge 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. | Judge 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. |
| Pamela Lomax, a former wife, told police she would "do anything for a peaceful life" while they were together and prayed that he would find someone else. She soon had her wish when Philpott met Heather Kehoe at a fishing lake in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, where he was a regular. Kehoe was 14, and Philpott was 37 at the time, and on her 16th birthday she ran away from her parents to move in with him. | Pamela Lomax, a former wife, told police she would "do anything for a peaceful life" while they were together and prayed that he would find someone else. She soon had her wish when Philpott met Heather Kehoe at a fishing lake in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, where he was a regular. Kehoe was 14, and Philpott was 37 at the time, and on her 16th birthday she ran away from her parents to move in with him. |
| Kehoe gave birth in a short space of time to two children, both boys, something which angered Philpott. "Mick wanted a girl," told the fire deaths trial. "He used to beat me for that [having a boy]. He took it that it was my fault it wasn't a girl." | Kehoe gave birth in a short space of time to two children, both boys, something which angered Philpott. "Mick wanted a girl," told the fire deaths trial. "He used to beat me for that [having a boy]. He took it that it was my fault it wasn't a girl." |
| Kehoe – who like many of his girlfriends was isolated from her own family – described how Philpott tried to indoctrinate his sons into violence, on one occasion ordering their eldest child to punch her in the face and kick her. | Kehoe – who like many of his girlfriends was isolated from her own family – described how Philpott tried to indoctrinate his sons into violence, on one occasion ordering their eldest child to punch her in the face and kick her. |
| Asked if her son had done as he was asked, Kehoe broke down. "He did," she told the jury. | Asked if her son had done as he was asked, Kehoe broke down. "He did," she told the jury. |
| Kehoe described Philpott's desire to have as many children as possible and how, when she stopped getting pregnant, he grew angry with her. | Kehoe described Philpott's desire to have as many children as possible and how, when she stopped getting pregnant, he grew angry with her. |
| "He said I wasn't a real woman as I couldn't give him the children he wanted," she said. "He was violent if he didn't get his way. He would hit me or lash out. I soon learned what his way was." | "He said I wasn't a real woman as I couldn't give him the children he wanted," she said. "He was violent if he didn't get his way. He would hit me or lash out. I soon learned what his way was." |
| His "way" did not include Kehoe leaving him. When she tried to flee, he resorted to extreme violence, grabbing hold of her, pinning her to the floor and holding a knife to her throat, acting out his repeated threats to do to her what he had done to Hill. | His "way" did not include Kehoe leaving him. When she tried to flee, he resorted to extreme violence, grabbing hold of her, pinning her to the floor and holding a knife to her throat, acting out his repeated threats to do to her what he had done to Hill. |
| "I believed this was his way of keeping me subservient, to keep me in my place," Kehoe said. "Mick was leaving me in no doubt he would do the same to me." | "I believed this was his way of keeping me subservient, to keep me in my place," Kehoe said. "Mick was leaving me in no doubt he would do the same to me." |
| In an echo of what was to happen later with Lisa Willis, Kehoe fought Philpott for custody of their two children – now 14 and 13 – and on 23 December 2002 she won. | In an echo of what was to happen later with Lisa Willis, Kehoe fought Philpott for custody of their two children – now 14 and 13 – and on 23 December 2002 she won. |
| The date was marked each year by Philpott in the Victory Road home with a ritual act of violence in front of the 11 children who lived under his roof. | The date was marked each year by Philpott in the Victory Road home with a ritual act of violence in front of the 11 children who lived under his roof. |
| After Christmas dinner he would take down the decorations and smash up the tree to express his anger that Kehoe had dared to take two of his kids away. | After Christmas dinner he would take down the decorations and smash up the tree to express his anger that Kehoe had dared to take two of his kids away. |
| The two women he lived with in Victory Road – girlfriend Lisa Willis and current wife Mairead Philpott – were both terrified of him. | The two women he lived with in Victory Road – girlfriend Lisa Willis and current wife Mairead Philpott – were both terrified of him. |
| Willis – who had five children, four with Philpott – gave evidence from behind a screen at Nottingham crown court to reveal the modern-day slavery she and Mairead lived in. | Willis – who had five children, four with Philpott – gave evidence from behind a screen at Nottingham crown court to reveal the modern-day slavery she and Mairead lived in. |
| Both women worked, but he insisted on driving them to and from their place of work, and their salaries and benefits were paid into his bank account. | Both women worked, but he insisted on driving them to and from their place of work, and their salaries and benefits were paid into his bank account. |
| "I could not go out shopping on my own, I could not go into town," said Willis. "He would ask me questions – where I'm going, how long I'll be and what for." | "I could not go out shopping on my own, I could not go into town," said Willis. "He would ask me questions – where I'm going, how long I'll be and what for." |
| Philpott spent the morning ferrying the children and the women to and from school and work. He had the house extended to add a conservatory at the back for a full-sized snooker table, and spent the rest of the day playing snooker or watching television. | Philpott spent the morning ferrying the children and the women to and from school and work. He had the house extended to add a conservatory at the back for a full-sized snooker table, and spent the rest of the day playing snooker or watching television. |
| He barely raised himself to wash, Willis said, often waiting a month before he had a bath, and sitting around the house in unwashed clothes. | He barely raised himself to wash, Willis said, often waiting a month before he had a bath, and sitting around the house in unwashed clothes. |
| Philpott would take it in turns to sleep with Willis and Mairead in the caravan alongside the property and in March 2007 both women were pregnant at the same time. "It was never all three of us," Willis told the court. "It was one night with me and one night with Mairead." | Philpott would take it in turns to sleep with Willis and Mairead in the caravan alongside the property and in March 2007 both women were pregnant at the same time. "It was never all three of us," Willis told the court. "It was one night with me and one night with Mairead." |
| Like the others Willis also suffered his violence. In early 2002, within a few weeks of moving in, she said, Philpott struck her five to 10 times with a piece of wood. | Like the others Willis also suffered his violence. In early 2002, within a few weeks of moving in, she said, Philpott struck her five to 10 times with a piece of wood. |
| Mairead Philpott – the mother of the six children who died – was equally controlled by him. She was 19 and isolated from her family when she met Philpott – then 43. | Mairead Philpott – the mother of the six children who died – was equally controlled by him. She was 19 and isolated from her family when she met Philpott – then 43. |
| Her barrister, Shaun Smith, challenged him in court: "You regarded her as your property didn't you? Your slave … She did everything in that house, didn't she, even when you were having a relationship with another woman?" | Her barrister, Shaun Smith, challenged him in court: "You regarded her as your property didn't you? Your slave … She did everything in that house, didn't she, even when you were having a relationship with another woman?" |
| But in Philpott's mind, his behaviour – which had never been checked by the police or the authorities – was not bullying or controlling. "I come across as too strong, too powerful. I have always been a happy-go-lucky guy," he said. | But in Philpott's mind, his behaviour – which had never been checked by the police or the authorities – was not bullying or controlling. "I come across as too strong, too powerful. I have always been a happy-go-lucky guy," he said. |
| He told the court he undertook what he said were "general fatherly duties", such as playing snooker, darts and helping the children learn to write. While Mairead did the cooking, he would sleep with Willis in the caravan outside each night. "I treated her [Lisa] like a queen," he said. | He told the court he undertook what he said were "general fatherly duties", such as playing snooker, darts and helping the children learn to write. While Mairead did the cooking, he would sleep with Willis in the caravan outside each night. "I treated her [Lisa] like a queen," he said. |
| When Willis left him on 11 February last year, taking shelter with her children in a women's refuge, Philpott snapped again. This time, his response was not to try and kill her – like Hill and Kehoe – but to set her up in a twisted revenge plot which consumed him and cost the lives of six of his children. | When Willis left him on 11 February last year, taking shelter with her children in a women's refuge, Philpott snapped again. This time, his response was not to try and kill her – like Hill and Kehoe – but to set her up in a twisted revenge plot which consumed him and cost the lives of six of his children. |
| "I have left and the kids are all right. I can't take no more," Willis texted to Philpott when she left. | "I have left and the kids are all right. I can't take no more," Willis texted to Philpott when she left. |
| He responded by creating a false story to frame Willis, telling anyone who would listen that "his ex" was threatening to torch his house. One witness told police that about two weeks before the fire, Philpott said he had "a plan up his sleeve and that Lisa wasn't getting away with it – watch this space". | He responded by creating a false story to frame Willis, telling anyone who would listen that "his ex" was threatening to torch his house. One witness told police that about two weeks before the fire, Philpott said he had "a plan up his sleeve and that Lisa wasn't getting away with it – watch this space". |
| On the morning of the fire Philpott was due in court to discuss custody of his four children with Willis – a challenge to his authority he could not take. | On the morning of the fire Philpott was due in court to discuss custody of his four children with Willis – a challenge to his authority he could not take. |
| He took his revenge a few hours before, setting a fire with petrol in the hallway directly behind the front door. But its power eclipsed any half-baked plan Philpott had created. | He took his revenge a few hours before, setting a fire with petrol in the hallway directly behind the front door. But its power eclipsed any half-baked plan Philpott had created. |
| In minutes thick, acrid smoke engulfed the house, swiftly taking the lives of six children, aged five to 13. The only mercy was they would have known little about it. | In minutes thick, acrid smoke engulfed the house, swiftly taking the lives of six children, aged five to 13. The only mercy was they would have known little about it. |
| But the agony of Mairead Philpott in her 999 call that night is clear. "My babies, please," she is heard screaming. "My babies." | But the agony of Mairead Philpott in her 999 call that night is clear. "My babies, please," she is heard screaming. "My babies." |
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