Mick and Mairead Philpott were jailed for killing their six children in a house fire in Derby in 2011 – and their co-conspirator Paul Mosley has since died in prison
Mick and Mairead Philpott put on an emotional display following the fire(Image: ExpressStar)
Mick Philpott assumed the guise of a grief-stricken father following the deaths of his six children in a house fire – yet he was concealing a sickening secret that would horrify the entire country.
Jade Philpott, 10, alongside her brothers Duwayne, 13, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five, all perished in a catastrophic blaze that tore through their Derby residence on May 11, 2011. Seated beside his apparently devastated wife Mairead, Mick dabbed away tears whilst pleading with the public to assist in identifying whoever was behind the horrific inferno during a deeply emotional press conference.
However, their twisted web of deceit would rapidly come apart, as the Philpotts were in fact responsible for the deadly arson attack that claimed their children’s lives. It formed part of a warped scheme to obtain a more spacious council property, with assistance from the couple’s accomplice Paul Mosley – who aided in deliberately igniting the house fire.
Mick Philpott and his wife Mairead Philpott were part of an elaborate plot(Image: Daily Mirror)
The wicked threesome even devised a ‘get rich quick’ plot exploiting kind-hearted donations from locals, which were intended to cover the tragic youngsters’ funeral costs.
Philpott, the architect of this abhorrent strategy, aimed to pin the blame for the fire on a former partner in an attempt to prevail in a custody dispute and obtain larger accommodation – but his scheme to save the children went catastrophically awry and all six youngsters died in the cramped three-bedroom dwelling. Philpott received a life sentence with a minimum 15-year term for manslaughter and was described as a “disturbingly dangerous man with no moral compass” by the trial judge.
Mairead and Mosley, meanwhile, were handed 17-year sentences for manslaughter.
Mosley’s relatives have now confirmed the killer’s death at 58. Released partway through his sentence in 2021, he was subsequently recalled before being freed once more in November 2023.
Here’s what became of the Philpotts following their appalling crimes…
Where is Mick Philpott now?
Mick remains behind bars(Image: PA)
Philpott remains behind bars at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire. He and wife Mairead agreed to separate whilst imprisoned, finalising their divorce in 2014 shortly after their convictions.
Life on the inside has been far from quiet for Philpott. The child killer was reportedly assaulted by a fellow inmate earlier this year, allegedly leaving him ‘battered and bruised’.
An insider told The Sun: “Philpott was in a bad way after the attack – battered and bruised and with two large and noticeable lumps on the back of his head.
“No-one had much sympathy,” they continued. “That is reserved for the children he killed.”
Following the alleged assault, Philpott is understood to have enhanced security measures in place, with the source cautioning he’s ‘the lowest of the low’ and ‘always has a target on his back’. Back in 2018, the convicted killer was reportedly learning to strum the guitar and had been “practising hard” after being permitted to keep the instrument in his cell at a high-security prison.
Paul Mosley died aged 58(Image: Derby Telegraph)
A source revealed: “He is a massive fan of Elvis and plays all his hits, plus other kinds of rock and roll. He is practising hard and should get good because he’s got plenty of time to devote to it.”
The same insider disclosed that Philpott had piled on the pounds, ballooning to 16 stone after developing a habit of gorging on sweets, chocolate and crisps, following a smoking ban that put paid to his 100 roll-ups-a-day addiction. They added: “He used to have a cig on the go all the time. He has also become pretty big these days. At one point he started going to the gym to exercise but it didn’t last.”
In a further blow to taxpayers, Philpott was reportedly fitted with a complimentary set of dentures after all his decayed teeth were extracted at the public’s expense. He will become eligible for parole in 2028, having served a minimum term of 15 years – though the Parole Board will ultimately decide whether he still represents a danger to society.
Where is Mairead Philpott now?
Mairead walked free from prison in 2020(Image: PA)
The mother of the six youngsters who perished in the blaze has since been released from custody under a different surname.
In 2020, Mairead walked free from HMP Send in Surrey, having served just eight and a half years of her sentence. She was reportedly housed in a hostel and kept under supervision whilst on licence.
The convicted killer, now 44, was said to have been offered both counselling and life coaching. At the time she walked free, sources close to her claimed she was ‘very much hoping for a fresh start’ and felt ‘delighted’ to receive the earliest possible release date.
She was also spotted enjoying a McDonald’s feast at her bail hostel whilst marking her 40th birthday – a milestone her six children will tragically never experience. The killer tucked into a McChicken sandwich and chips delivered to the halfway house, followed by an oversized pink cake.
Her release sparked fury amongst campaigners. Former Tory MP for Mid Derbyshire, Pauline Latham, pledged at the time that she would be seeking guarantees the killer mum wouldn’t be returning to the locality.
She said: “I am disgusted that this foul woman has her liberty whilst her daughter and five sons lie in their graves. Eight-and-a-half years in jail amounts to her serving less than 18 months for each of those poor children. How can that possibly be right?”.
“Those in charge of making these decisions need to think longer and harder about the victims and the value of their lives. In addition, this horrible crime is still very raw in Derby and I fear what would happen if she turned up in the city.”
Meanwhile, The Centre for Crime Prevention condemned the release as “appalling” and demanded killers serve their complete sentences for such offences, The Independent reports. “The system of automatically releasing criminals like her half way through their sentence means that in cases like this justice is not being done,” remarked David Spencer, research director for the centre.
