Father and Mother of 6 children killed in fire are arrested over Murder

[marriedtoagoodun]

Breaking news is that Mr and Mrs Philpott have been arrested for the murder of their six children. I cannot believe this has happened. I pray that a mistake has been made. RIP children.

Wrong? Well they would need to be wrong twice!

Maybe they got confessions

There's the small matter of a trial before you go calling them sick bastards.

Derby born and bred, but snuck over to the dark side (notts) about ten years ago, I work at big company near victory road though so am around there every day :)

I think that given the high profile nature of this case, there would have to be some pretty firm evidence to justify charging them both with murder. Yes they are innocent until proven guilty, but these are people who were happy to appear on live television talking about the deaths of their children, people who have gained mass sympathy from the public, the police would have to be fairly sure they'd got it right before charging them.

Trial or not, they wouldn't charge them without evidence.

Fair point oldladyknowsnothing.

I actually hope the police have got it very very wrong, but twice????

Perhaps we need to ask MNHQ to restore the thread title to how it first appeared

glad to see the miss marples have decided they are guyilty. no need for a trial
hides sick thread

They still havent been convicted.

It isnt necessarily a question of police being 'wrong' or not. The thresholds and criteria are different for arrest, charging and conviction.

the chances of the police getting it wrong are pretty slim.

Who else do you think did it? Are people really clinging to the idea that it was some anonymous benefits hating vigilante?

Hope it's not like the Karen Matthews case.

"Trial or not, they wouldn't charge them without evidence."

Of course the police will believe they have reasonable grounds to charge someone. But we live in a country where, actually, the trial is rather important in establishing guilt. History is full of those charged but acquitted, and those falsely convicted. None of us have any idea what will happen here.

They might even plead guilty, so no trial. Time will tell.

I am wondering though, why murder and not manslaughter, if they did it to be re-housed which seems the most obvious reason, I don't think they meant to kill those kids, murder means you planned to killl someone, manslaughter means it was accidental :(

That's my question too topknob the murder/manslaughter thing?

I agree that this should not lead to an assumption they did it; what it means is there is enough evidence, for which there is currently no other plausible explanation, to make a case against the accused which CPS thinks stands a good chance of being proved at a trial. It does not mean that they are guilty, or that the current evidence is complete.

But the police have said the investigation is not yet concluded.

If you look back at the posts from yesterday evening, around 19.00 onwards, it is discussed there.

I thought that too, re: murder/manslaughter, but the law changed recently, so I am told, so that even if murder was not the intention, if you commit an act where the possible outcome would likely be death, even if you never inteded death, you could be tried for murder.

For instance, you intend to break into someone's home. On doing so, you kick in the door, knocking the homeowner, who you didn't know was there, to the floor, whereupon he died - manslaughter. Death, without intent or reasonable expectation.

OR, you use petrol to light a fire in an occupied house. You don't intend death, but as death is a very likely outcome you can be tried for murder.

So why did who ever did it do it?

[n.b not snippy, just wondering]

They have now been officially charged

Well, they loved attention. on enough tv shows/in magazines etc