To be amazed they've released Mairead Philpott?

[MarylinMonrue]

After serving half her sentence for the arson attack? Apparently even a source from the prison was a shocked at the leniency and the fact she's going to get a new identity and protection. Six children in that fire - is there such a thing as justice in this country anymore?

It was clear during the trial that her husband was the one who started the fire, and she covered up for him.

Covering up for him is equally as unforgivable though, no?

Depends if she was subservient to him and dv meant she was scared to say the truth. It's completely wrong what she did but whether she knew what she was truly doing I don't know, there's many incidents where people are let off on these sorts of grounds

It was clear during the trial that her husband was the one who started the fire, and she covered up for him.

No, she knew beforehand. Those were preventable deaths.

Mairead will never be allowed to work with children and any children she may have will be removed at birth. There is no way in hell she’d be allowed to keep them

I wish I had the same confidence, but it's been dented by hearing this said too often and then it happening

He wanted to leave her and she refused to agree to a divorce. How does that tie in then?

It was said at the time that they were both "staunch catholics", so I wonder if that's why she resisted divorce? If so, shame it didn't also prevent her committing the crime

It is terrible but I think she has low intelligence and confidence ( not being rude I just genuinely think this) and they had to let her out sometime.

She has a heavy burden to live with for the rest of her life.

I actually feel sorry for her.

@x2boys

Actually I don't think he is insane ,it's not like he's tried to claim he was mentally unwell when he did it , ,I think he's very arrogant and has an extremely high opinion of himself ,he never actually wanted to kill those children ,but clearly it was a very stupid Ill thought out plan ,I don't think he has a particularly high IQ either but he thinks he's clever which is very dangerous.

The judge described him as being the centre of his own world and expecting others to put as him centre of their world.

I'd suggest he's has some form of sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies if not actually diagnosable as either or both.
He certainly believed what Mick wanted Mick should get.

@flaviaritt

Exactly. If he’d said, “Jump out of that fifth storey window and I’ll definitely catch you”, would she have ‘trusted’ him then?

No. She was willing to accept that risk for her kids.

I don't think she would. She refused to divorce him numerous times.

She had some ability to access survival techniques for herself and what she wanted.

• I don't think she would. She refused to divorce him numerous times.

She had some ability to access survival techniques for herself and what she wanted.*

Yes, as is evidenced by her actions to protect herself from him by not protecting her babies. She made a choice. She was capable of making a different one.

It was said at the time that they were both "staunch catholics"

By their lawyers, by any chance?

Strange staunch Catholic,s ,ok it's a while since i went to mass but the staunch Catholic ,s I know ,wouldn't condone dogging or extra marital affairs 🙄

x2boys

Staunch Catholics, except for the lewd behaviour, affairs, adultery, boozing and the murders of six innocent kids.

Well quite .

I think the recorded evidence the police collected doesn’t help. In the tapes Mick checks she’s sticking to their story, he then asks her if she cried while she spoke to the police. She says very calmly that she did a bit but not much.
Also, witnesses did claim they had planned the fire 6 weeks before it happened, they’d practiced what to say. Then days later they rocked up at a pub?
The lying and rehearsing do show some ability to understand the situation, you need to be able to remember the lies you are telling, you need to be able to recall the ‘plan’.
The lack of tears - all her children had just died, wouldn’t you feel distraught talking to the police about it?
Going to the pub. Well I honestly cannot understand why, even if Mick coerced her, threatened her, how could she be there?

The lying and rehearsing do show some ability to understand the situation, you need to be able to remember the lies you are telling, you need to be able to recall the ‘plan’.

Massively. A person who can conceal a crime knows what they did was a crime, and can think, plan and try to avoid negative consequences. That is capacity.

The staunch Catholics I know wouldn't condone dogging or extra marital affairs

Nor here either - well at least not the dogging, though plenty seem to have affairs

It's so long ago I can't recall who said about them being "staunch". Maybe it really was their lawyers, but then "finding Jesus" is an old gambit when trying to reduce a sentence or get parole

A person who can conceal a crime knows what they did was a crime, and can think, plan and try to avoid negative consequences. That is capacity.

Yes, and to continue to keep trying to avoid punishment when it's uncovered and then go to the pub is lack of remorse on a staggering scale.

The lying and rehearsing do show some ability to understand the situation, you need to be able to remember the lies you are telling, you need to be able to recall the ‘plan’

Don't spoil it, OfTheNight - she's supposed to be a poor victim who didn't know up from down, remember?

As said upthread it really is very strange that folk seem to know better than those who had all the evidence, including the judge who considered all this and yet still found as he did

The few interviews I've seen with the press and police who were involved, especially in the days after, made it clear that the authorities knew straight away that they were somehow involved, due to the bizarre behaviour and lack of emotion. I've said it upthread already but even if it was a terrible accident (plan that went too far and got out of control) WHERE was the real emotion for them just having had their family totally wiped out and another child critically ill in hospital? They couldn't even be convincing enough for the police and press to believe they were genuinely grieving parents. They were bad actors in a drama of their own making.

@stressfullday

It is terrible but I think she has low intelligence and confidence ( not being rude I just genuinely think this) and they had to let her out sometime.

She has a heavy burden to live with for the rest of her life.

Poor her.

Just watched the you tube video.

They'd put ladders ready at the back bedroom to save the children.

They told the emergency services all children were in the back bedroom. They weren't.

And those poor brothers who tried to help

I found it most interesting that they kept saying how much he loved Lisa. How it was her he was in love with most and how evident that was.

It's all such a mess and 6 children lost their lives.

I don’t think they did a very good job at concealing anything though. Neither had the intelligence to realise burning their house down might kill their children. I don’t think either really have the mental capacity to really contemplate the sheer awfulness of they’ve done. Their lack care for their children is truly shocking though . I think it reflects on their lack of emotional intelligence.

I hope she spends the rest of her miserable life having to watch her back. I wish her not a moments peace.

Depends if she was subservient to him and dv meant she was scared to say the truth. It's completely wrong what she did but whether she knew what she was truly doing I don't know, there's many incidents where people are let off on these sorts of grounds I wonder how many DV victims would take part in a conspiracy that ended with 6 children dying.

Whilst I don't think either Mick or Mairead were very intelligent ,the children were all still living there and and whilst school may have raised some concerns ,the parents must have had a level of capability for the children not to have been removed? That you tube documentary was heart Breaking Mairead s sisters seemed very genuine.

On the question of coercion and control and how much she could have done - I may be wrong here, but I gathered from the coverage at the time that Mick Philpot intended to lay the blame on the girlfriend who got away with her children, that it was going to be his revenge on her.

it may have been indirectly intended as a lesson to Mairead - that she too could be framed for some horrible crime if she showed an independent streak.

Or maybe she was happy to go along with it to get her rival out of the picture. You can spin it lots of ways.