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?

I don't see any point in people becoming uptight about this. It is what it is, accept and move on
If a crime like this didn't make you feel up tight I don't know what would.
The 3 convicted can move on eventually unlike the dead DC or 5 remaining half sibling DC of the 2nd girlfriend.

Mick Phillpot is surely well into his 60,s by ,now ,I suspect like most bullies once confronted with people bigger than him ,he's probably quite meek and mild.

They stood in the garden watching the house burn, it is hard to believe they'd any intention of saving them lighting a fire at the stairs

The judge in his summing up thought otherwise:
"The means by which you were to achieve the removal of Lisa Willis from the care of her children were outside the comprehension of any right-thinking person. The plan, which you had plainly been considering for some time, was to set fire to your home on the night before the court hearing, making it look as though the fire had been set from outside. You would then rescue the children from upstairs via an external ladder. You would be the hero of the hour. Lisa Willis would be arrested and you would have achieved your aim. You had even arranged for the children's school places to be held open for them for the Monday morning."

He defined Philpott's actions as "callous stupidity".

The judge sadly missed the opportunity to highlight the fact that Mick Philpott was encouraged every step of the way in his belief that he would get away with it by his previous dealings with both the criminal justice system and the family courts.

Why did Heather Kehoe have to fight a protracted battle to gain custody of her children from a man who had done time for an outrageously violent attack on his first girlfriend and her mother? Is a man accused of sexual and physical assaults on the mother of children really a fit man to ever be left alone with them?

Would it be difficult for the family courts to decide by means of some well designed interview process, or by looking back over previous convictions or complaints, to see if there was any sort of a pattern to a man's behaviour? Or looking at a pattern of exploiting minors?

There are many more Mick Philpotts out there, wreaking havoc in women's lives, and children with no chance at all of a life free of fear and the influence of a malign force, with the blessing of the family courts.

closeronline.co.uk/real-life/news/ex-evil-philpott-teen-son-s-ashamed-s-worried-people-will-think-s-like-dad/
Sorry for the site, but I think there are serious questions around this, and lessons that should be learned but are being overlooked because so many are distracted by the question of Mairead's release.

He defined Philpott's actions as "callous stupidity".

While I agree with much of the judge's summing up, I take issue with this.

It wasn't so much callous as calculated, and there was cunning and confidence, not stupidity.

Mick Philpott got away with every single thing he did to women and children up to the day he was sentenced because the pattern of behaviour arising from his view of women and his view of how men should treat women was not considered relevant.

@jessstan1

I don't see any point in people becoming uptight about this. It is what it is, accept and move on.

It reminds me of vigilante groups and those who stand outside courthouses in order to shout and pelt the police van when an accused or convicted person is driven away. In years gone by, people would go to hangings.

What's the point? It won't bring anyone back.

Did you post that on the thread about four pound or the many inane threads a day or save it for this one?

Six children died. I don't buy your fake confusion at why we are 'uptight'

PS no one mentioned hanging.

I don't know what you mean about four pounds but I meant being 'uptight' about this woman's release, not the death of the children. What good does it do?

Mick Philpott got away with every single thing he did to women and children up to the day he was sentenced because the pattern of behaviour arising from his view of women and his view of how men should treat women was not considered relevant

I'm afraid you are right.

Six children died.

There are thousands of children affected by men like Philpott every day in the UK, and women ground under heel like all the women Philpott drew into his orbit.

The fact that none of them have been murdered the way the Philpott children were or generated the outrage that Philpott did doesn't mean that there are not fundamental problems going on that need urgent attention.

If you are appalled that Mairead Philpott has been released and angry on behalf of the innocent children, please consider contacting your MP to ask why Heather Kehoe had to fight so hard to gain custody of her children and why free legal aid has been gutted.

I recently saw a programme about this family and what happened, to say it was traumatic is an understatement.

When I saw on the television (I think, or somewhere), that the woman had been released I wished it hadn't been made public because I anticipated people's reactions. We are no better off for knowing about it or anything more about her.

@jessstan1

I don't know what you mean about four pounds but I meant being 'uptight' about this woman's release, not the death of the children. What good does it do?

Well there's a post up just now about someone owing someone four pounds. That I can understand the at but not this.

It's just a discussion.

@Sheerface There was witness statements from neighbours they stood there. I watched Britain's darkest taboos on the back of this thread.
He was a vile horrendous messed up control freak who hunted out younger women from the age of 19 destroying lives.
How SS were not aware of his previous crimes and allowed him around these DC is tragic.
Another example of male privilege if the mother had a similar criminal record SS would be all over her at the birth.

Wheresmykimchi: Well there's a post up just now about someone owing someone four pounds. That I can understand the hmm at but not this.

It's just a discussion.
......
Fair enough. I haven't seen that.

You make some good points, mathanxiety.

I agree that if people are unhappy about how the law is applied, writing to our MPs and even to the mayor or the PM, is a good idea.

@jessstan1

Wheresmykimchi: Well there's a post up just now about someone owing someone four pounds. That I can understand the hmm at but not this.

It's just a discussion.
......
Fair enough. I haven't seen that.

I used that as an example but my point was there are many inane threads on here day in day out with people getting wound up. Each to their own.

There certainly are.

That lady isn't right she obviously has some learning difficulties but I still feel like stringing her up and leaving her to rot.

mathanxiety I agree totally that the criminal justice in general system is paying far too little attention to violent men like Philpott who abuse women and there is far too much casual acceptance of DV. I agree that if you save the women, you usually save the children too. It's not rocket science. The list of his crimes below makes it clear that had interventions occurred earlier, those six children would not have died.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Philpott

To be fair to the judge in this particular instance, he did mention Philpott's vicious crimes against his first wife and her mother in quite a lot of detail in his summation and I think the fact these crimes occurred in 1978 and were not recorded on a computer, explained why agencies didn't intervene earlier in this case. Now a perpetrator's crimes are easily accessible to multiple agencies, is it leading to more of these serial abusers being identified and dealt with earlier? I'm not sure it is for all sorts of reasons related to institutional misogynism and chronic underfunding. Sadly though the judge can only make a ruling within the parameters of the system current at that time.

@jessstan1

You make some good points, mathanxiety.

I agree that if people are unhappy about how the law is applied, writing to our MPs and even to the mayor or the PM, is a good idea.

Mine ignores all emails that have anything to do with law - she's the AG!

I think this woman is away with the fairies and is probably not even affected by it

@Clappingforjoy

I think this woman is away with the fairies and is probably not even affected by it

She was well enough to stand trial.

[quote Emeraldshamrock]@Sheerface There was witness statements from neighbours they stood there. I watched Britain's darkest taboos on the back of this thread.
He was a vile horrendous messed up control freak who hunted out younger women from the age of 19 destroying lives.
How SS were not aware of his previous crimes and allowed him around these DC is tragic.
Another example of male privilege if the mother had a similar criminal record SS would be all over her at the birth.[/quote]
Emeraldshamrock I'm not defending Philpott in any way. And I agree with almost everything you say. But having been a jury member in two criminal cases, where the examination of the evidence was prolonged and forensic, I think it's problematic querying evidence that we weren't party to in the courtroom.

@Sheerface I honestly don't think you were defending him. You're right we weren't there I hope the man never gets released though it's likely he will unless he dies in the meantime.
Life should mean natural life in some trials.

[quote Emeraldshamrock]@Sheerface There was witness statements from neighbours they stood there. I watched Britain's darkest taboos on the back of this thread.
He was a vile horrendous messed up control freak who hunted out younger women from the age of 19 destroying lives.
How SS were not aware of his previous crimes and allowed him around these DC is tragic.
Another example of male privilege if the mother had a similar criminal record SS would be all over her at the birth.[/quote]
Male privilege

Mick is inside. Mairead is coming out. They committed the same crime. Maired is a poor soul and Mick is evil. And males are privileged.