Philpott trial: Blaze 'part of a plot to win back custody of children'

SIX siblings – Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, Jayden, five, and Duwayne, 13 – all died after the fire which engulfed the family home at 18 Victory Road, Allenton in the early hours of May 11 last year.

Mick Philpott, 56, his 31-year-old wife, Mairead, and family friend Paul Mosley, 46, of Cecil Street, Derby, have all denied six counts of manslaughter in relation to the children's deaths.

It is alleged they started the fire in a botched plan to frame Philpott's former mistress, Lisa Willis, with whom he was locked in a custody battle over their children.

The prosecution alleges that Philpott was the mastermind behind the scheme and that Mairead Philpott and family friend Paul Mosley were "in" on the plan.

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It says forensic evidence, which is yet to be heard, would reveal that both Philpott, Mrs Philpott and Mosley, 45, had petrol on their clothing.

The trial, at Nottingham Crown Court, began on Monday of last week and could last until Easter.

On Tuesday, the jury was told that Philpott "flew into a rage" after police refused to arrest Ms Willis when he reported that she had been making threats to him.

The court did not sit on Monday but last Friday the prosecution claimed that Mrs Philpott had an abortion after becoming pregnant while having sex with another man while Philpott watched.

Witness Claire Tyler, who worked with Mrs Philpott as a cleaner at the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary and Royal Derby Hospital, told the court about an incident in 2011 when Mairead asked for some time off work because she was pregnant and looking to go to the doctor for a termination.

And earlier last week Philpott's former mistress Ms Willis, gave evidence in court, shielded from the view of the defendants, Philpott, Mrs Philpott and Mosley, by a screen.

She told the court that she and her five children – four of them fathered by Philpott – had lived with the Philpotts at Victory Road.

However, she had taken the children and moved out after Philpott had been abusive towards her.

But she also told the jury that Philpott was never abusive towards any of his children and that she saw Mrs Philpott's children as her own and treated them "the same".

Asked how she felt about their deaths, she said she was "devastated".

*THE PHILPOTT TRIAL: Visit our Philpott trial channel here for all related stories in the fire death case.