The parents accused of killing their 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.
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 found guilty of manslaughter of the children.
He 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."
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 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 five children with her in February last year.
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.
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.
His wife Mairead Philpott, and his friend Paul Mosley were both found guilty of manslaughter of the children.
He 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."
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 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 five children with her in February last year.
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.
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