Phillpots trial is anybody following it?

[Minimammoth]

I am .

Jake My Philpott has reportedly admitted that he did in fact "breed for cash". In fact, this entire incident allegedly revolves around the fact that he wanted custody of his ex gf's children (and the benefits that go with them!) - and her out of the picture - i.e., imprisoned!

It exists. It happens and it even comes from their own mouths!

The "x number of children in x numbers of family" is a bit of a red herring though isn't it? Given the somewhat "unusual set-up" of this family - unless of course my understanding of marriage is out of date.

On paper it's 2 families with x number of children each - i.e., not hitting that magical number of 10. Yet Mr Philpott's sperm travelled far and wide.

I have found the stuff coming out about their lifestyle incredibly shocking!

I don't care of that makes me deluded or a prude or whatever, I really am shocked that people with children could live their lives in such a sordid way.

Very, very sad for the surviving children to have to know this stuff.

I've been following it. It's pretty horrible and shocking. What's interesting me now (from a legal point of view) is that Mairead's defence lawyer has been attacking Mick, so it looks as if her defence will be that he did it, but she had nothing to do with it. While his defence is that it was carried out by a third party.

I wasn't really meaning the Philpott family in particular although re-reading my post I can see it reads that way. I think in really chaotic families that I have worked with, the children haven't really been planned with anything in mind....indeed not planned at all

Not at all.too distressing all the fatalities

Agree with Jake, I think the women (although one of them was strong enough to leave) were being abused. The man appears insane. I find their lives beyond comprehension. Terrible for the poor children. Hope the other woman and her children are OK and have managed to get themselves to a place of safety and avoided falling back in with another abuser.

Poor little kids.

I'm surprised so many people are shocked. Families like this aren't common but they're not exactly rare either.

A family relative works with at risk early years kids and she sees a fair bit of this sort of thing: women with many children, most of whom she can't name the father of . Lots of inbreeding among cousins, step siblings, filthy homes, zero personal hygiene.

They are also highly promiscuous, constantly having unprotected sex (often in front of small children) with strangers or people from their estates.

They don't have loving feelings towards each other or their children because of how they live and were raised. Their kids mean as much to them as your tea mug does to you....they're just there.

It is all shocking, really.

The children who died-were they were all his & his wife's children?

But he still has children by other women, but his wife had no other children?

Most shocking that anyone might even contemplate setting a fire with children in the house-let alone actually do it!-if that is what happened, of course.

Mr phipott is not in any way insane.he's got capacity,sound mind.this isn't mh issue

"The children who died-were they were all his & his wife's children?

But he still has children by other women, but his wife had no other children?"

Yes, that's my understanding. She lost all her children in the fire. Unbelievably shocking.

He has fathered 17 kids in total. Don't know how many she had.

Setting a fire deliberately with your kids in the house, no, I cannot imagine it.

I think we have to be careful here. ..I know that nobody has posted anything silly. ...but its still at trial....they have not yet been found guilty.

Anyone who would set a fire knowing the children were in the house is beyond the pale though.

I agree Jake, they are innocent until proven guilty. However, people especially mums with children do form opinions.

Yes, it will make enormous news at the end of the trial

Yeah, nancy66, and that's just the nobility

(Ahem, joke, sort of)

merci - it's often been said that the top drawer and the lowest rungs of society have the most in common!

I struggle to see why he was such a catch.

Why hasn't Mairead been told to use the marital coersion defence that Vicky Pryce tried to use? I could see it potentially working in this case, with DV and his behaviour / other women.

Just a vile situation. I feel for the ex's children, who can find out all of their dad's sordid behaviour online

What I remember about this is that when the news first broke someone posted a thread on here entitled 'benefit hatred is out of control'.

Something for the Op to reconsider perhaps.

I simply posted the thread so that people could express their views on a news item. The issue of benefits did not occur to me at all.

I think the issues over benefits is somewhat skewed now anyway. In the past he had freely admitted he wanted a bigger council house, and they would keep having kids til they got one.

They did the whole Anne Widdecombe documentary thing where she moved in with them for a fortnight to try and see what was stopping him getting a job, plus the Jeremy Kyle thing, and he claims the national papers never paid him a penny for the stories.

I don't know whether I believe that or not, but I think this has gone beyond being about more benefits now.

I think The next few days will be interesting. He has been been cross examined very robustly, and the lawyer for the prosecution has stated that Mairead has broken her silence and will give evidence against his story, though this remains to be seen.

Again, I wish not to judge and I do firmly believe that these parents loved their children unreservedly, but whatever happened just went horribly, horribly wrong and whether it was a plan or not, it had the worse possible ending :(

I don' t believe for one minute they loved their children unreservedly. I agree with all nancy66 has said.
No one who loves their children, no mattet how depraved, deprived or downright monstrous they are, sets fire to a house with them in it .

Nancy66 - you explain it very well, especially the tea mug analogy. I hadn't thought of it like that before. Also, still always shocked at how prevalent incest is in our society.

well said Dolomite. Terrible situation. Children shouldn't have to experience that sort of thing. so wrong. don't know what the solution is but should people like him be able to father children?

would he bother if it wasn't for our welfare system? It must have some bearing on the situation.