Episode 193 - Deceit in Derby - Unraveling the Mystery Behind The Philpott Fire
42:07 Share

You're so coy, alluring, angel with a wicked smile. Sleeping 20 hours a day, never lay a paw on dusty clay. I'll keep your litter natural, no chemicals in your nostrils. Just corn below, so every time you go, you'll know your sh-don't stink. World's best cat litter for the world's best cat.

Mike Tirico here with some of the 2024 Team USA athletes. What's your message for the team of tomorrow? To young athletes, never forget why you started doing it in the first place. You have to pursue something that you're passionate about. Win, lose, or draw, I'm always going to be the one having a smile on my face. Finding joy in why you do it keeps you doing it.

Be authentic, be you, and have fun. Joy is powering Team USA during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Comcast is proud to be bringing that inspiration home for the team of tomorrow. The opinions expressed in the following episode do not necessarily reflect those of the Minds of Madness podcast. Listener discretion is advised. ♪♪

In May 2012, a man named Mick Philpott stepped up to the mic at a small pub tucked away in a corner in Derby, England. Wearing a fedora and sunglasses, Mick picked up the mic and waited a few beats before belting out the legendary lyrics, "'We're caught in a trap, I can't walk out.'"

As Mick's wife giggled at the back of the pub, Mick poured himself into the Elvis song's suspicious minds. Apparently unable to read the room,

In the fairly tight-knit town where Mick was practically known by everyone, the seemingly harmless karaoke gig held a dark irony. You see, just a week earlier, Mick and his wife had lost six of their children in a tragic house fire, leaving the entire community devastated.

Yet there was Mick and his wife, a short time later at the pub, again, not looking the least bit sad, but instead downright giddy. As Mick crooned about mistrusting suspicious minds, what the patrons at the pub didn't realize was that Mick was actually harboring a dark and horrific secret.

They had no idea that the man entertaining them with the classic Elvis hit was about to become the central figure in a tragic case birthed out of obsession and a need for revenge. Join me now as we unravel the layers of one of the most horrific days in Darby's history.

you'll learn about the unsettling irony behind the man singing about suspicious minds while covering up an ominous secret that led to a heartbreaking tragedy. On May 11, 2012, at 3:46 a.m., a Derbyshire emergency dispatcher received a call about a fire breaking out in a semi-detached home on 18 Victory Road in the suburb of Allentown.

After hearing the smoke detector go off, 31-year-old Maraid Philpott and 56-year-old Mick Philpott called 999, informing the operator their six children were trapped inside.

As Mairead spoke to emergency services, her husband Mick climbed a ladder to the back bedroom to rescue their children. I'm sick of him. I'm sick of him.

Across the street, their neighbor Jamie Butler was watching television when he suddenly heard commotion. As he approached his window, he could see a yellow glow. After pulling back the curtains, he could see flames raising from the bottom of the door over at the Philpott house. Before running over to help, Jamie shouted up to his brother Darren to wake up and come down to help.

In a bid to rescue the children, Mick broke the window, but black smoke billowed out, forcing him back, so Mick climbed back up the ladder.

The situation was getting beyond desperate. Police, fire and ambulance services would be arriving at the front of the house at any minute, but Mick and Mariette's route to the front was blocked by a caravan squeezed in between the house and a high fence next door. By that point, the fire was raging on the main floor, blocking access to the upstairs.

Hello there, Mr. Thorpe. All of the kids. Hello. Can you talk to me?

The fire was growing fast and the front door was completely engulfed in flames while the front window was blackened by smoke. I can't get my head in the city. Is there a terrorist house? We've got the police on the way. Do you have any idea what's caused the fire? I've been walking like this for a long time. There's smoke everywhere. There's smoke everywhere.

The Butler brothers ran around the side of the house, trying to find a way inside, climbing over the caravan to get to the back garden. There they found Mick and Maraid just staring up at the fire, as if paralyzed with shock, still on the phone with the emergency dispatcher. Help me out! Help me out! Help me out! Help me out!

Darren Butler tried to get inside the house through the rear addition, moving past the large pool table and into the hot smoke-filled kitchen. The heat was unbearable, with the fire department later reporting the temperature reaching almost 900 degrees Fahrenheit on the main floor.

Immediately, the smoke caused Darren to gasp and cough, but despite zero visibility, unable to see even his own hands in front of his face, he still managed to push his way into the living room, toward the stairs. What Darren was doing was incredibly dangerous, but also incredibly heroic, putting his life in danger, desperately wanting to save the Philpott's children. He faltered and persisted, but Darren

But Darren soon realized he wasn't going to get any further. The fire just wouldn't let him. In the meantime, Darren's brother Jamie was trying to get inside the upstairs bedroom, breaking his way through a window. But the heat and smoke were again too intense.

Another neighbor, Daniel Stevenson, also tried getting up into the stairwell, but by that point, he couldn't even make it far enough into the kitchen, never mind the stairs. While it only took the fire department less than six minutes to get to the Philpott residence, it was already too late.

A little while later, it seemed all the neighbors in the area had congregated on their front lawns in the street to witness one of the most tragic scenes that ever hit Darby. The bodies of six children, one after the other, were brought out of the smoke-filled home and laid on the pavement. Although attempts were made to resuscitate the children, only one was still alive.

After the fire was extinguished, the fire investigation team arrived and soon determined the cause of the fire had been arson. Someone had intentionally dumped gasoline through the letterbox on the front door, setting the house ablaze. The stairway, located just right of the front door, with an open window above, would have immediately caught fire, acting as a sort of chimney, sucking the flames and smoke up.

Wood paneling leading up the stairs, coated in varnish, would have also quickly ignited from the heat and flames. Later that day, Assistant Chief Constable Steve Coddrell held a press conference. "Emergency services were called to a house fire on Victory Road in Allentown at 3:46 a.m. this morning. Eight people, two adults and six children were initially taken to the Derby Royal Hospital.

Sadly, I can now confirm that five children have died and their ages range from 5 to 10 years. A sixth child aged 13 years has been transferred to hospital in Birmingham for specialist treatment. The two adults are not seriously injured and were lucky to escape the fire. The joint investigation into the cause of the fire will now be carried out with the police in conjunction with the fire service.

As the investigation into the cause of the fire is at a very early stage, it would be wrong to speculate at this time as to what the cause is. The romantic getaway you deserve awaits on Amelia Island, Florida.

Imagine you and your sweetheart horseback riding on pristine quartz sand beaches or drifting toward the sunset in a tandem kayak. As evening falls, you're sitting at a sidewalk cafe in the island's charming downtown and dinner under the stars puts you over the moon. When one of a kind memories are tailor made for two, it must be an island thing. Visit AmeliaIsland.com to learn more.

The assistant chief constable then reported some startling information.

However, I can confirm that a woman in her late 20s was being arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with this case. Police had also arrested a 38-year-old man with the same charges. The public would soon learn that the 28-year-old woman arrested was Lisa Willis and the man was a brother-in-law, Ian Cousins. But the suspects were both released later that day.

Just three months earlier, Mick and Lisa had separated. Lisa, along with Mairead, were just two of the women Mick had fathered children with. Lisa and Mairead had both been living under the same roof with Mick, with their combined 11 children for the past 10 years. Mick also had six other children from previous relationships, bringing the total number of kids he'd fathered to 17.

Immediately after the fire, Mick told neighbors and police that Lisa had threatened to kill him and set fire to his home. On February 11, 2012, Lisa had left with her and Mick's children, saying she was taking them swimming, but never returned.

Mick had met Lisa in 2001. She was just 16 at the time. She'd been an orphan since she was 12, and like Mairead, an abandoned single mother. The next year, he invited her to live with him and Mairead. Soon after she moved in, they began having an affair, which Mairead seemed to accept. Lisa was even a bridesmaid at Mick and Mairead's wedding.

The two women would later say they became like sisters. Lisa soon had a child with Mick, and then another, to a total of four children. She was the mother of five, including a child she had full custody of from a previous relationship. Lisa ended up leaving Mick because of his controlling ways and mental cruelty, which she feared more than his violent outbursts.

After Lisa left, the situation became acrimonious, with Mick and Lisa both demanding custody of the children. In fact, the very same day as the fire, they had a custody hearing scheduled in court. A few days after the fire, the Philpott's eldest child, 13-year-old DeWayne, passed away.

The other children were identified as: 10-year-old Jade Philpott, 9-year-old John Philpott, 7-year-old Jack Philpott, 6-year-old Jesse Philpott, and 5-year-old Jayden Philpott. All the Philpott children had died from smoke inhalation. In front of the burnt-out house, there was a massive shrine of cards, flowers, pictures drawn by school children, poems, toys, and teddy bears.

Dwayne the oldest was getting popular with the girls. His voice was beginning to change, and he was learning how to play the violin. Ten-year-old Jade was an intelligent and creative young girl, a bit of a mother hen to her younger brothers, as well as her friends and classmates.

Nine-year-old John was cheeky and a daredevil, both on his bicycle and on the trampoline. He kept things lively when they played in the yard, always competing with his older brother, Dwayne. When he grew up, he wanted to be a soldier. Seven-year-old Jack was quieter than his brothers and enjoyed playing Nintendo and watching the children's TV show, Peppa Pig, while sitting with his mother on the sofa.

Six-year-old Jesse was outgoing and could really get into the muck playing in the garden. He enjoyed wrestling and was known for being clumsy and cheerful, but could still be fearless like his brother John.

Five-year-old Jaden was the baby of the family. Fascinated by dinosaurs, he enjoyed wrestling with his older brothers and was notorious for his love of potato chips. Neighbors like the Butler brothers said when they looked over or passed by, there'd always be a hive of activity and the kids playing in the yard. The sudden absence of those sounds would be sorrowfully missed.

Four days after the fire, Mick and Maraid joined the police at a heavily attended press conference. Mick did all the talking while grief-stricken Maraid wept beside him. First of all, I want to thank my three oldest children because they helped us to cope with what's going on. And then there's a young lad called Daniel Stevenson who tried to get in the house the same as myself. Joe across the road, then the Butler brothers.

And of course, the four firemen, the police, the ambulances, the doctors, the nurses, literally everybody who tried to help save that children, they couldn't. After breaking down for a few moments, Mick announced they'd be donating their son Dwayne's organs to save another child's life, saying it would help take some of the pain away. Mick then spoke about the overwhelming response from the community.

I would request is please

While police pushed on with their investigation, they also made several appeals to the public to come forward with any information.

But after releasing Ian and Lisa from police custody, it appeared detectives were out of leads. Could the fire have been caused by someone completely off their radar?

Certainly the fire could have been caused by someone disapproving of Mick Philpott's lifestyle. The fire and death of his six children hadn't been the first time Mick Philpott had made headlines. Mick had been a lightning rod for controversy leading up to that point. A bit of a D-list celebrity who'd been doing the rounds on television trying to garner both attention and support for his growing family.

At one point, Mick made a claim to the press that his family, given the size, should have a larger council house, a welfare benefit for people with lower incomes, a story that made national news. When Mick was denied a bigger house, he was livid. And despite being against zoning regulations, Mick decided to build an addition onto the back of his house. I will build in my garden.

Tabloid cited Mick's family situation as an example of what happens when you give free government money to people who aren't working.

By that point, it was 2006, and Mick was living with both Mairead, who was 25 at the time, and Lisa, who was 22. There were also seven children living in the house, with Mick being the biological father of five of them. And remember, Mick also had six other children from previous relationships as well.

In early 2007, the word got out that two more babies were on their way. Mick appeared with Maraid and Lisa on the boisterous Jeremy Kyle show. Welcome to the show, Maraid. How, in your mind, this whole house thing works? It works like a normal family. There's three of us in the house, but it works like a normal family.

It was clear from the interview that Mick had briefed his partners on what to say on the show beforehand. Then, a few months later, Mick appeared on a documentary-style reality show hosted by Ann Widcombe, who spent a week with the family documenting their life together. Sparks flew when Mick and Widcombe were on camera together, but not in a good way. As soon as I started filming,

pressing him on work, on the morality of deliberately living on everybody else, he started to get very narked indeed. Why don't you go out and work? Right, just shut your gob and listen. Go out and work! Get a job! I'm looking after my kids. Even Anne felt like she was skating on thin ice around Mac. I mean, I'd been slightly worried throughout the whole programme that he might actually get physically aggressive.

In the weekend spent time at Mick's home, she told viewers he didn't actually spend any time with his children. From what she could see, his days were spent watching telly and playing snooker. In between, he drove the kids to school and Maureen and Lisa to their cleaning jobs.

At the time, the media asserted that Mick was raking in a massive sum in government benefits because with each new child, he generated even more income from the government. He was known to be shameless and very willing to talk openly about it. He was one of the worst examples of abuse that you could find. He had 11 children. They were meal tickets, effectively. He kept a wife and a mistress. He had one child by each every year pretty well.

And this sort of information didn't sit well with a portion of the British public. And the press portrayed shameless Mick, the benefit Scrooge, as the poster boy for issues within the government's benefit system. Given all the past animosity towards Mick's contentious personality, police had to consider the possibility that someone outside the family could have deliberately set the Philpott house on fire.

In the aftermath of the tragic fire, the Darby community immediately pulled together to establish a charity to support the Philpottes. Contributions also poured in for the funerals, totaling £11,000.

A few days after the fire, a memorial service was held, and just over a month later, on June 22, 2012, an elaborate funeral at St. Mary's Church took place in Derby. To honor the six children, mourners were asked to wear bright colors.

Horse-drawn carriages carried each coffin, with the two horses adorned in blue feathers instead of the traditional black, except for the horses pulling the wagon with Jade's coffin, which was decorated with pink feathers.

Each coffin featured unique emblems: toy soldiers, a pink fairy tale princess, a dinosaur, a wrestler, and a football club emblem. With each child's name elegantly inscribed in blue calligraphy, Jade's was written in pink.

During the 90-minute mass, teachers described each of the children's personality quirks, while poems by the children were read, offering a glimpse into the Philpott children's vibrant lives. But out of the hundreds of people who attended the service, two notable people were missing: Mick and Maraid, because just a few weeks earlier, they'd been arrested.

In the days and weeks after the tragic fire, a more complex profile of Mick was starting to emerge. In the summer of '78, 17-year-old Kim Hill was out at a pub, enjoying herself for the first time in ages. She'd just recently broken up with a guy she'd been dating for two years after he started becoming physically and mentally abusive.

The ex was Mick Philpott. In the beginning, everything seemed fine until Mick started becoming jealous and controlling with violent fits of rage. After the first time he hit her, Mick cried and begged for forgiveness. But from then on, the abuse only got increasingly worse.

Over the next two years, Kim would suffer numerous broken bones, including a shattered kneecap after Mick hit it with a hammer. And like many people in abusive relationships, Kim made up excuses for her injuries, never confiding in anyone about the truth of what was really happening. But by the summer of 1980, Kim had reached her limit and boldly decided to end their relationship.

That night at the pub, Kim had noticed Mick stalking her. Later that evening, he broke into her house and stabbed Kim 27 times and her mother 11 times. Miraculously, both women survived.

Mick was found guilty of the attempted murder of Kim and sentenced to seven years in prison. For his attack on Kim's mother, Mick was given a concurrent five-year sentence for grievous bodily harm.

The criminal conviction was undoubtedly noteworthy for police as they continued their investigation into the arson case because a lot of his past behavior toward Kim would repeat itself in future relationships, evolving more into coercive control. Despite Mick's criminal record, suspicions about the fire had already started to center around him and Maraid due to their peculiar behavior.

Within a week of their six children dying, the pair were spotted at a pub where Mick sang Elvis' Suspicious Minds at a karaoke night, with Murray giggling at a table nearby.

In the midst of such a horrific tragedy, Mick already seemed to be back to his regular self again, flirting with practically any woman who crossed his path in comparison to his behavior at the press conference when he was collapsing on the floor in grief. Before arresting Mick and Maraid on suspicion of murder, police continued gathering evidence, including the clothes worn by Mick and Maraid on the night of the fire.

They'd also found a discarded gas can and a glove in the neighborhood, and had bugged the hotel room Mick and Mairead were staying in. On May 30th, 2012, after two days of questioning, Mick and Mairead were officially charged with murder. The next official movement in the case wouldn't be until the 5th of November, when police also arrested 45-year-old Paul Mosley.

Not only had Paul been visiting Mick and Mairead on the night of the fire, it was later revealed he'd also been involved in a polyamorous relationship with the couple. Forensic testing would determine that the pants and shoes worn by Paul on the night of the fire had the same gasoline type found on Mick and Mairead's clothing.

In December, police reduced the charges against all three to manslaughter, determining the children had been unintentionally killed. It seemed clear to police the motivation for Mick wasn't to destroy his own livelihood, the government benefits he was entitled to for having the children.

It had been to get revenge on Lisa for taking the children away and the financial government benefits along with her. But they still had to prove his culpability as well as that of his accomplices.

Because there wasn't a ton of circumstantial evidence, the prosecution would have to convince a jury that the Philpott parents were capable of such a crime, which was made even more difficult by the judge refusing to allow key information from Mick's past convictions entered into trial. So much depended on the prosecutor putting together a narrative that could make something so heinous make an iota of sense.

On February 12, 2013, the trial got underway with prosecutor Richard Latham depicting the case to the jury as a whodunit. Aside from gasoline forensics linking Mick, Mairead, and Paul Mosley to the fire, a main pillar in the prosecution's argument came from surveillance recordings from the hotel room police had bugged.

In one recording, five days after the fire, Mick and Maraid discussed the statements they'd finally got around to making to police. What did you say? Tell me what you said to him then. What did you say about how many times he went up the ladders? I can't almost count how many times he went up the ladders. What did you say about me trying to get in? You tried everything you could to get in. I said to him I wanted to run through the flames. Up the stairs. What did you cry when you were saying it? How bad? Not really, really bad, but I did cry.

Mick seemed to be making sure their stories matched up with perhaps a little bit of extra heroism for good measure. A few weeks later, as Mick was speaking to Morade, he assumes guilt for the whole thing. It's my fault that our family's gone. It's my fault we lost our children. It's my fault we lost them and five children. It's my fault we lost Lisa. I should have seen it all coming up. It is my fault.

Moments before they're charged with murder, Mick and Maraid were also recorded in a police van. - I've seen balls, big balls, because there's no evidence. They've got nothing. There's no pressure on me, no trousers, no glass.

further into their conversation and according to the interpretation done by experts hired by police, Mick mumbles that Morade should just stick with the story they'd already given to police. We've got nothing to worry about. We're still interested in what we said. The fingerprint on the window. That's it. A few discrepancies. That's all it is.

A little while later, Mick whispers, almost completely inaudibly, asking Maraid if they're sticking with the story. One of the most crucial points in the recordings was overhearing Maraid engaging in a sexual act with Paul at the hotel about eight days after the fire at Mick's suggestion. Afterward, he thanks her. I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you.

The prosecutor interprets this exchange as Mick keeping Paul in line with the overall plan, which would have confirmed to police that Mick and Mairead had an accomplice.

The prosecution believed Paul had been deeply involved in the arson, and while Paul exercised his right to remain silent in the courtroom, he'd already been quite vocal outside of it. His nephew's girlfriend testified that Paul mentioned a rehearsal of the house fire six weeks prior, a plan that involved Mick and Maraid being inside of the home during the fire while Paul kicked in the back door.

Mick and Maraid were then to run outside calling for help while Paul rescued the children from the back bedroom. Another witness also claimed to have overheard Paul saying he thought he should turn himself in and shouldn't let Mick take all the blame. But the most damning evidence of all was when Mick's past history was put on trial trying to establish a motive for Mick wanting to start a fire in the first place.

Mick's violent, misogynistic, and coercive behavior over a series of relationships was then outlined to the court in vivid detail. The prosecution maintained Mick had 35 years of domestic violence behind him with a series of different partners, with several of those partners, including Lisa, testifying.

One of Mick's tendencies was to repeatedly seek out women much younger than himself, often teens, who were damaged, vulnerable, and in dire straits. Mick routinely also used his partners for sex and a source of income. When his coercive possessiveness didn't get the results he wanted, he resorted to violence to maintain control, persuading his partners to cut ties with family and friends.

By highlighting Mick's behavior, the prosecution aimed to demonstrate that Lisa and Mairead had reason to fear him. Lisa also testified that early on in their relationship, Mick had repeatedly assaulted her, trying to get her to confess to who the father of her child really was. Like the women before them, Lisa and Mairead's salaries would go directly into Mick's bank account, as did any benefits they received from the government.

Lisa told the court she wasn't permitted to go shopping by herself or even allowed to go into town.

When Lisa finally did leave, Mick was enraged because he wasn't just mad about her leaving him. He was also angry about what that meant for him financially, specifically the benefits he'd be losing from the government with the kids she'd taken. Mick planned on teaching her a lesson, but wasn't about to go about it in the way he'd done with Kim and end up in prison.

So he devised a revenge plan to gain custody of the children and get those financial benefits back. The prosecution explained how Mick devised a plan to implicate Lisa, informing several people that his ex was threatening to burn his house down. Also claiming he had a plan and that Lisa wouldn't escape the consequences.

Leading up to the fire, Mick called police several times, filing complaints against Lisa. But when police didn't arrest her, Mick made an official procedural complaint. And then came that fateful night, right before the custody hearing. On March 27th, 2013, after six weeks of trial, the jury began deliberations. On April 2nd, the jury returned with a majority verdict.

They found Mick and Marit Philpott, as well as Paul Mosley, all guilty on the six charges of manslaughter brought against each of them. Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cotterell summed up the emotions of the first responders after the verdict. "A pleas justice has been achieved for the six children who died in this fire. This has been a shocking case for everyone involved. Six young children lost their lives needlessly in a fire.

and all our efforts have been focused on getting justice for those children. This has to be one of, if not the most upsetting case any of us has ever investigated. It was a long and difficult inquiry which involved more than 100 officers and police staff at its peak. Everyone was determined to find out the truth behind this fire and who was responsible. Even the community was pleased with the outcome.

And while it took some time for Mick's other kids to come to terms with what their father had done, one of his older children from a previous relationship shared what he really thought of his father when speaking to the Sunday Mirror. Now I know that he's done it.

He's got to be guilty for it and he has to live with it on his conscience for the rest of his life. Why would you put the lives of kids in danger? Why even attempt it? I saw a red-eyed play to move the head with a hammer. Hope he rots in hell. On April 4th, 2013, Mrs. Justice Thrillwall sentenced Mick to life, ensuring a minimum of 15 years imprisonment, subject to parole approval, potentially resulting in lifelong incarceration.

During sentencing, she emphasized Mick's pivotal role in the tragic event that claimed the lives of six innocent children. She highlighted Mick's troubled history with women, his intimidation tactics, using his past conviction as an example, and the controlling influence he exerted on all his partners.

The judge questioned Mick's genuine concern for his children, noting the potential trauma they might have faced even if the fire had gone as planned. Acknowledging a decrease in Mick's physical violence as he got older, the judge emphasized the sustained level of controlled aggression he demonstrated.

When it came to Mairead's sentencing, the judge acknowledged she'd been treated like a slave over the course of her relationship with Mick and that she'd expressed her profound grief over the tragic outcome. While she recognized moments when Mairead had stood up for herself, the judge emphasized that when it mattered most, Mairead prioritized Mick over her children, leading to their tragic deaths.

Mairead received a 17-year sentence and was eligible for parole in half that time. Paul Mosley received a similar sentence, with the judge noting he wouldn't be seeing his own children anytime soon. And even as the sentences were handed down, Mairead's family could only think of the tragic loss of the children. The following statement is from the Duffy family, who are Mairead's family.

On the 11th of May 2012, Duane, Jade, John, Jack, Jesse and Jayden were taken away in the cruelest way imaginable by the very people who were supposed to love and protect them. We, Mairead's family, cannot describe the pain we feel. Today, justice has been served and we are happy with the verdict. We'd like to express our gratitude also to the young men who tried to save the children that night. You truly are heroes.

and to the people of Derby for giving the children the send-off they deserved. Thank you." At the time this episode was produced, Mick Philpott remains in prison. Mairead, having served half of her 17-year prison sentence, was released in 2020 on license, meaning she'll still be serving the rest of her prison sentence but can now live in the community.

Paul Mosley, who was released in 2021, breached parole conditions and was subsequently returned to prison. Both Paul and Mick maintained their innocence. To this day, the people of Derby still remember May 11th, 2012 as the darkest day the city's ever seen.

As grotesque as the tragedy was, it seems to be counterbalanced with the idea of the innocence the six children represent. By all accounts, they were all sweet, wonderful children. A bright, cheerful contrast to the dark shadows their father cast.

Neighbors mentioned walking by the house before the fire and seeing the kids amusing themselves in the yard or seeing them in the front window, lined up on the sofa, watching television or playing inside. And then it seemed they were just suddenly gone in the blink of an eye, leaving only memories behind to be cherished by the people who knew them.

The children's resting place is Nottingham Road Cemetery, a beautiful 1800s-era graveyard lined with trees. In this heartbreaking case, the Philpott children became unwitting pawns, caught in the middle of their father's vendetta, casualties of a greedy man's selfish need for control.

Their tale starkingly illustrates how children are all too often used as bargaining chips in domestic battles, leaving them traumatized and in the impossible position of being forced to choose where their loyalties lie. In the case of the Philpott children, Lisa found the courage to leave an abusive relationship. She could have never predicted what Mick Philpott was capable of doing to put the other six children in danger.

This episode is dedicated to the loving memory of the Philpott children.

Follow the Minds of Madness on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. To support the show and get access to ad-free episodes, extra content, and Patreon-exclusive episodes, go to patreon.com slash madnesspod. To find us on Instagram and Facebook, search The Minds of Madness, and on Twitter using the handle

at MadnessPod. And also, by checking out our sponsors and using our promo codes, you're also helping support the show. We've got all the links in our episode notes. So until next week, thanks for listening. ♪