From the BBC:



I remember seeing the Philpotts on TV asking for witnesses and information from the public and thinking "They did it." I assumed it was to get a bigger council house but it looks like he wanted custody of his kids to get more benefit money too.

More here.

Scum of the earth...

I don't understand why the jury weren't told of this earlier incident. Surely, that's as relevant to this attack in showing his true character.

I pity the remaining children left to pick up the pieces.

Yes but how would he get a fair trial if this was known by the jury. Many people would have found him guilty without considering any more evidence. Also what if someone was genuinely innocent, but had a past. Many people do go through difficult times of their lives when they do all sorts of things does not mean he was guilty.


Yes and the rest of the family (who will be looking for a bigger council house and more benefits /s)

They knew of violence in some capacity

Jurors heard that Philpott had been violent and controlling towards his former live-in mistress, Lisa Willis.

Just watching Channel 4 News and finding out that he had been on Jeremy Kyle Show.

I'm still surprised they weren't done for murder. The act of starting the fire was deliberate rather than accidental after all.

Murder is premeditation to kill. That was not the intention. So manslaughter charges are appropriate. They could still get life.

Hanging's too good for them - pity we don't have it though.

Six kid's lives cut short because of their parents greed.

I hope they get life with a very very long minimum sentence.

Same here. They really should have thought it through and stopped.

By the sound of things, they haven't ever thought a single thing through their entire lives.

I have seen professionals do the same thing at work. Failure to think things through is a lot more widespread than should be the case. Look at the numbers of politicians who make policy and statements and then have to rapidly backtrack. I think it is down to arrogance. They do not think that they will caught or are wrong.

Update:

Derby fire deaths: Philpotts and Mosley jailed

That's less than three years per child.
It should have been a minimum of thirty years in my opinion. I'd have preferred life without parole though.

I'm guessing, because they were charged with manslaughter rather than murder, that 15 years is the maximum they can be sentenced to? I was hoping he'd get a life sentence, but that's probably wishful thinking.