Philpott fire: The trial so far

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Tuesday, March 05, 2013
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Derby Telegraph

DAY 1, MON, FEB 11

A jury panel of 60 was whittled down to 18 at Nottingham Crown Court and a list of more than 100 potential witnesses was read out.

  1. fire8

DAY 2, TUE, FEB 12

The case against the Philpotts and Mosley was opened by the prosecution. Richard Latham QC told the court the trio started the blaze as part of a plan to frame Philpott's former lover, Lisa Willis, "that went horribly wrong". On the morning of the fire, Ms Willis and Philpott had been due in court to discuss residency of the four children they had together.

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DAY 3, WED, FEB 13

Philpott tried to leave the dock and was made to sit down as the 999 call made by the couple as the fire took hold was played to the jury. Ms Willis, who had lived with the couple at Victory Road, gave evidence behind a screen and said she and Mairead had taken turns at spending the night with him. She also said she treated Mairead's children like her own and was devastated to hear of their deaths.

DAY 4, THU, FEB 14

Under cross-examination, Ms Willis said that Philpott "was a good father" and would not do anything to endanger them. But she also said he had attacked her with a piece of wood.

DAY 5, FRI, FEB 15

Mairead had an abortion after having sex with another man while Philpott watched, according to witness Claire Tyler, a former colleague. Amanda Cousins, the sister of Ms Willis, also gave evidence.

DAY 6, TUE, FEB 19

Sarah Osborne, wife of Derby's professional darts player Colin Osborne, told the court she travelled to a darts match with Philpott in April last year when he took a phone call and announced to the bus that "someone has threatened to torch my house and kids". Other passengers also gave evidence that he said: "My ex has threatened to petrol-bomb my house."

DAY 7, WED, FEB 20

Neighbour Chantelle Harriet told the court she had visited the Philpotts about two weeks before the fire and Philpott "was bragging and boasting that Lisa was going to set fire to the house". Friend Charlotte Bright said that she had seen Philpott rubbing his hands together and saying: "I have got a plan." The court also heard from paramedic Samantha Phelan, who visited the Philpotts after Mairead allegedly took an overdose in February. She told the court Philpott did not seem "at all concerned" about his wife.

DAY 8, THU, FEB 21

The court heard from police and firefighters who attended the fire. Firefighters said the house was full of smoke and there were child casualties "everywhere".

DAY 9, FRI, FEB 22

Neighbour Daniel Stevenson told how he made three attempts to get into the burning house, after being woken in the early hours and racing to the scene in his pyjamas.

DAY 10, MON, FEB 25

Mairead Philpott was high on cannabis on the night fire claimed the lives of her six children, the court was told. Witness Vicky Ferguson said Mairead was "stoned" only hours before the blaze started. Mairead, her husband and a family friend had earlier gone out to buy cannabis together, the jury heard.

DAY 11, TUE, FEB 26

Mick Philpott's behaviour, when he went to visit his dead children, was described by witness Marie Smith, hospital mortuary manager, as like "nothing she had ever experienced before". She said he brought a large group of people with him and the visit was "like a circus".

DAY 12, WED, FEB 27

Mick Philpott's friend, Paul Mosley, was allegedly overheard saying: "I can't let Mick take all the blame". And PC Joanna Halford told the court that Philpott wore the death of his children as a "badge of honour" and that he seemed jovial when she spoke to him at the hospital just a week after the fire.

DAY 13, THU, FEB 28

The night before Mick Philpott was to hold a press conference about the deaths of his six children, he was bugged telling his wife "you make sure you stick to your story," the court heard.

DAY 14, FRI, FEB 28

The court was told how fire sniffer dog Freckle, trained to locate ignitable liquid, searched 18 Victory Road. Station manager Mat Lee said "the fire was on the inside of the hallway rather than the outside".

He said: "We ran the dog up and down the stairs and into the lounge area but it just kept coming back to this small section in the hallway."

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

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