Mick Philpott jailed for life for killing his six children in fire

Philpott's wife Mairead was jailed for 17 years after also being found guilty of killing the six children in the blaze.

Philpott, 56, his 32-year-old wife and Mosley, 46, were all found guilty of killing Jade Philpott, 10, and her brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, Jayden, five, and Duwayne, 13, in the fire at their home in Victory Road, Allenton, Derby, in the early hours of May 11 last year.

The trio started the fire in an attempt to frame Philpott's ex, 29-year-old Lisa Willis, after she left the family home with her children three months earlier.

Mrs Justice Thirlwall told the defendants there was ''no precedent'' for the case, and added: ''It is, in my judgment, a uniquely grave set of offences.''

The plot to set fire to the house and rescue the children was ''a wicked and dangerous plan'' and was ''outside the comprehension of any right-thinking person'', she said.

Mrs Justice Thirlwall said Philpott had become ''obsessed'' with Ms Willis and after she left did everything to get her back.

She said: ''You could not stand the fact that she had crossed you. You were determined to make sure she came back and you began to put together your plan.''

The judge said the children were subjected to a terrifying ordeal.

She said: ''Their terror was the price they were going to pay for your callous selfishness. In fact, they paid with their six young lives.''

She added: ''Mercifully, the deaths were swift and, it would appear, without pain.''

Mrs Justice Thirlwall told Philpott that women were his ''chattels'', saying: ''You barked orders and they would obey. You were the kingpin, No-one else mattered.''

The judge also said Philpott used his conviction for attempting to murder a girlfriend in 1978 to terrify other women.

She said: ''You have repeatedly used that conviction as a means of controlling other women, terrified as to what you would do to them.''